Stranger Danger
by wedontstandachance
Summary: AU: NO ZOMBIES BETHYL BETHXDARYL Daryl and Merle need to get out of town. Daryl tries to steal Beth's car, not realizing that she's asleep in the backseat.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So this idea popped into my head and I thought I'd try it out! Comments appreciated as I am just starting this story, and I always appreciate feedback!**

_Fuck Merle_, Daryl thought as he walked through the parking lot of the local University, _he's at the fucking bar while I'm out here in the cold doing all the fucking dirty work._

Daryl rubbed his hands together trying to bring some feeling back into them. He sighed and he could see his breath in the cool night air.

He stopped in front of a small beat up car, a looked around quickly finding no one is sight. He checked the handle.

Locked, dammit.

He moved on to the next in the row.

They needed a car, and Daryl didn't have a job or money to pay for one, so he was going to steal one. That's how he found himself wandering around a college parking lot trying to find an unlocked car.

He figured that college kids were dumb, and some probably left their cars unlocked and if they lived on campus it would probably be a few days before they realized that their car was even missing. Daryl and Merle would be long gone by then. They didn't have to go far, they just needed to get out of town. If they were able to get out of the state, even better.

Well technically Daryl didn't need to go anywhere. Merle was the only one who was being hunted. He'd failed to pay back some money to his drug dealer, Martinez, and found himself in a tight situation.

Martinez had told him that he had a week to get him the money or things were going to get . . . messy.

Daryl's first suggestion was that they both just get jobs and earn some quick cash to pay him back, but when he heard how much Merle actually owed Martinez that was no longer an option.

"Five grand, Merle?!" he'd screamed at him. "How in the hell are you in the hole for five fuckin' grand?!"

Merle merely shrugged, "C'mon little brother you know how it goes. I like the good stuff."

"No I don't know how it fuckin' goes 'cause I don't fuck wit' drugs like yer dumbass!"

Merle smirked, "Don't know what cha missin'."

Daryl had almost killed him right then and there.

Now here he was searching for an unlocked car in the middle of the night so he could hotwire it and they could get the hell out of this town. He'd tried nearly half the cars in the lot and so far they all had been locked.

He almost just said screw it, and would let Merle deal with the mess he got himself into. Daryl loved his brother, but he was a stupid selfish bastard and he could maybe use an ass kicking to teach him a lesson.

He walked to the next row and miraculously the first car he tried opened. He smirked victoriously and climbed in. He was about to get to work on hotwiring it, when he glanced over to the passenger seat and saw the keys sitting there.

_No fucking way_, he thought, _guess it's my lucky night_.

He plucked them up and hummed quietly to himself as he placed them into the ignition and turned. The car roared to life beneath him and he pulled out of the spot and headed out of the lot.

He turned onto the main road and began heading toward the bar Daryl had left Merle at. He'd only been driving for a few moments when his heart nearly gave out.

"Excuse me, sir?" a voice came from the backseat. "You mind telling me where were going?"

Daryl cursed loudly and looked in the rearview mirror. A blonde girl was sitting between the two seats and she was staring at him.

"What the fuck are you doing here!" he practically yelled at her.

She titled her head, "I think I should be asking you that seeing as this is my car and you're the one who's stealing it."

Daryl cursed himself aloud. Why hadn't he checked the fucking backseat?


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Alright here is chapter two! It's A LOT longer than the first, but I figured that was warranted seeing as the first just introduced the story and now the second is actually getting the plot going. To be honest, I have no idea where I'm taking the story at this point so don't expect a new chapter for a couple days. That'll give me time to map it out and see what the hell I'm actually trying to accomplish here lol. Thank you to everyone that has already reviewed/kudo'd/favorited! You all inspire me to actually sit down and write, and your kind words make me smile.**  
**Anyway I'm done rambling, enjoy!**

Daryl slammed hard on the brakes causing them both to jerk forward. He felt the girl's hand graze his shoulder and he recoiled from her touch. She straightened, oblivious to his obvious discomfort, and maneuvered her body so she could face him. He was lucky that it was the middle of the night and there were no other cars on the road.

The girl tilted her head at him in question, "What are you doing? You can't just stop like that in the middle of the road. You'll cause an accident."

Daryl looked at her dumbfounded. This girl catches him stealing her car and then lectures him on driving safety?

"With what other cars?" he practically yelled at her.

Then before he knew what was happening she was climbing over the seats and getting into the passenger seat beside him.

"C'mon, you can't just stay here in the middle of the road. Turn left up here there's a diner we can go to. We'll get coffee."

"Coffee," Daryl said slowly like it was a foreign concept.

"Yeah," the blonde girl said. "I could use a cup. Couldn't you? You look pretty beat."

He blinked at her a few times incredulously, "You do realize what's going on right now, don' you?" he asked her slowly.

"Yes. You were trying to steal my car, and I suggested we go for coffee," she said it simply like it was the most normal thing ever.

He stared at her blankly, not exactly sure what was going on. He got caught trying to steal her car, and she wants to go out for coffee?

_Oh my god_, Daryl thought staring at the blonde girl, _she's a psychopath._ _I tried to steal a psychopath's car._

"Shouldn't you be, I don' know, like . . . afraid?" he said knitting his eyebrows together.

"Are you planning on hurting me?"

"No . . ."

"Okay, I didn't think so. So, coffee?"

He should run. That's what he was thinking. He should just get out of the car now, and haul ass as far away from this crazy blonde chick as humanly possible. He would grab Merle at the bar and they would hitchhike out of town. Even if some serial killer picked them up, that would certainly be preferable to his current situation.

But he didn't. Every fiber of his being told him to bolt but he didn't. He was frozen. Those blue eyes kept him rooted right in his place, and without even understanding what he was doing, he began driving again and turned left like she'd instructed. All the while still trying to process what was currently happening.

He found the small diner and pulled into the parking lot despite his better judgment. As he did though, he instantly knew he'd been had. There were only two cars parked in the lot. A beat up red pickup, and a sheriff's car. She must of know they were here, and that's why she wanted to come. She probably figured she'd have an easy time getting him arrested if she delivered him directly to the police.

His hand flew to the handle and he went to yank it open and make his escape, when she reached out a hand to stop him. For whatever reason, he paused. He peered at her through the corner of his eye, hand still on the handle, and saw her looking at him with pleading eyes.

"I ain't gonna turn you in, promise. I didn't know they'd be here. C'mon please."

He just stared at her. _Yeah right_.

"I could start hollering and beeping my horn though, and I bet that would bring them out here pretty quick, don't you think?"

He glared at her, knowing he was trapped. He'd never have enough time to get away if she did that. Even if he was faster than them, cops had guns and Daryl wasn't planning on getting shot tonight.

"Also, I do know the Sheriff personally," she said casually. "He's friends with my daddy and I babysit his kids, so . . ." she let her statement hang in the air.

Her tone was light, but he knew she was really saying. It was a threat. She had his description now and he probably wouldn't even be able to make it a few miles before every cop in the state was looking for him, with her being friends with the sheriff and all. Those men would probably jump at the chance to help out this pretty girl.

He clenched his jaw and nodded curtly. This psycho was blackmailing him into having coffee with her, and he couldn't figure out why for the life of him.

"C'mon," she said yanking her door open. "Let's go."

She headed toward the front door, grabbing Daryl's sleeve as she went, and he had no choice but to follow her. He trailed along after her like a dog on a leash.

When she opened the door a tiny bell sound alerted everyone in the place to their arrival. He cringed as three pairs of eyes looked up at them, one waitress who was sitting behind the counter reading a book, and to police officers sitting at a small table drinking coffees.

"Hey Sheriff Grimes, Deputy Walsh," his captor said greeting them brightly.

"Beth," one of the men said looking up at her and smiling, "how many times do I gotta tell you? Rick is just fine. Ya don't gotta be so formal, I've known you since you were in diapers."

So, the psychos name was Beth.

"Yeah, yeah," Beth said waving a hand at him. "I'm just being polite is all. How are Lori and the kids?"

Rick shook his head at her, "They're very good. At home sleeping like I wish I was. I'll let 'em know you said hello. You do the same with your daddy."

"Will do," she promised.

"Ms. Greene," Deputy Walsh said tipping his head in greeting.

Daryl made a mental note of her full name. Beth Greene.

"How is Andrea?" Beth asked.

"Good, thank you for asking." He turned back to his coffee, not paying either of them any mind.

"What are you doing out in the middle of the night, anyway?"

Daryl felt his body go rigid as he waited for Beth to rat him out. To his surprise, she didn't.

Beth shrugged, "You know how college is, crazy schedule and all."

"Who's your friend?" Rick asked, his eyes sliding over Daryl suspiciously.

"Oh this is," Beth looked over at him expectantly.

"Oh, uh, Daryl," he said awkwardly.

"You got a last name, Daryl?" Rick asked giving him a strange look. He was probably trying to figure out what Beth was doing with the likes of him. Something that Daryl was also trying to figure out himself

"Dixon," he grumbled, then cursed himself. Why hadn't he given then a fake name? He was such an idiot.

His head was all messed up because of this lunatic, Beth Greene.

"Well, nice to meet you," Rick said. "We'll let you get on with yourself then. Don't wanna take up any more of your time."

Beth smiled bid them farewell, and led Daryl over to a table on the other side of the diner that was out of earshot of the two officers. They took a seat. Beth called over to the waitress, whom she addressed by name, and told her they'd take two coffees. The old woman smiled and said she'd be right over with them.

"So, Daryl Dixon," Beth said turning to him. "Why were you trying to steal my car?"

Is this why she'd brought him here? To give him the third degree? Well too fucking bad for her, because he wasn't talking. He stared at her stonily, and she stared right back. It went on like this for a few tense minutes before Daryl began to crack.

He didn't know what it was about her, but with each passing moment he felt more and more uncomfortable under her scrutinizing gaze. She wasn't looking at him in a mean or angry way. She was just _staring._ It was almost like he could feel those big doe eyes burning a hole in his skin. The whole thing was just unsettling. He'd never been affected like this by anyone before, and he couldn't understand why she was making him feel that way.

"Needed a car," he grumbled finally, hoping to just get her to stop fucking looking at him.

"Needed it for what?" her gaze hadn't shifted from him once, much to his dismay.

He didn't respond. It was none of her fucking business what he needed it for. A voice in the back of his mind was saying, _well it was _her_ car_. He willed it to shut the hell up.

"Why?" she pressed.

"For my brother," he grumbled almost inaudibly.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" she said pressing her hands together with a big shit eating grin on her face. Then the waitress walked over and placed their coffees down in front of them. Beth thanked her and then turned back to Daryl, giving him her full, unwavering attention once again.

He still wasn't sure what he was even doing here or why he was talking to this girl. Merle would have run. He should run. But he didn't. He stayed put having a staring contest with Beth Greene.

"What's your brother need a car for?" she urged.

Daryl sighed heavily. He might as well just tell her because this persistent nosy bitch obviously wasn't going to stop until she got the whole story out of him. He thought about just lying to her, but for some reason he thought she'd know. She'd be able to smell it on him.

"My brother has people after him and we need to leave town. Happy?" he grunted at her.

She opened her mouth and he held up a hand to stop her, "Don' ask what people 'cause I ain't tellin'!" he warned.

She closed her mouth and studied him for a moment. Then she picked up her cup of coffee and took a long pull. She smiled softly, relishing in the taste then placed the mug back on the table. Daryl's mug sat untouched.

"You 'bout done with your twenty questions?" he asked.

"For now," she said eyeing him.

"Good 'cause I got some for you," he started. "The first being, why the hell am I here?"

"So we could talk," she said simply.

"About?" he squinted at her.

"About why you were stealing my car. Look I just figured I could talk to you about it. Ya don't seem like a particularly bad person, maybe just a little misguided. Everybody needs some kindness now and then," she looked at him seriously.

Daryl's eyes hardened, "Oh, so you think I'm some charity case. Is that it?" he said and stood up roughly, knocking his chair over as he went. The long clang caught the attention of the other three people in the diner.

"I don' need no one's fuckin' charity. Ya hear me girl?" he spat at her venomously.

Beth stared at him evenly. She hadn't even flinched from his outburst.

"Sit down," she commanded quietly.

He looked over and saw that both cops and the waitress were staring at him. Rick looked as though he was about to get up walk over to their table.

"Everything okay, Beth?" he asked cautiously. Daryl saw his hand on his hip hovering just a few inches from the gun on his holster.

Beth plastered on a fake smile, "Yes sir. Everything is just fine. Isn't that right, Daryl?" she looked up at him for confirmation.

"Yes sir," he said picking up his chair and sitting back down slowly.

Rick didn't look convinced but nodded and turned away nevertheless. She waited until he was no longer watching them and then looked back at Daryl. She almost looked apologetic.

"Listen, I don't think you're a charity case, but I don't think you're a bad person neither. I thought I'd give you a chance to explain yourself is all. I didn't just wanna call the cops and ruin your life by getting you arrested. Everybody makes mistakes sometimes."

She stared right at him as she said it, and Daryl could swear she was staring right into his soul.

He sat there feeling like a real jackass for being so mean to her when she was just trying to do him a favor. He wasn't used to anyone going out of their way to be nice to him, especially when he'd done absolutely nothing to deserve it.

"Oh, uh . . . thanks," he mumbled awkwardly.

"Don't even mention it," she smiled. She looked real pretty when she smiled.

"Didn' your daddy ever tell you not to talk to strangers," he said after a moment, trying to distract himself from thinking about how she looked in the dim light of the diner. "Especially strangers that try to rob you?"

This earned a laugh from Beth, and Daryl had to suppress his own small smile.

"He did," she agreed, "but he also told me to always help those in need."

She was a real good person, through and through. He could see that now. Probably not a mean bone in her tiny body. He picked up his coffee and took a small sip.

"So, what are you gonna do?" she asked after a moment.

He raised an eyebrow, "'bout what?"

"Your brother, obviously!"

"Oh, um, dunno."

"Want me to help you come up with a plan? I'm pretty good at strategizing."

Daryl almost laughed. He pictured this sweet girl trying to help his brother flee a drug dealer.

"No, that's okay."

"You sure? If he's in trouble, I can ask Rick to help. We don't gotta mention the car," she said playfully.

"No!" Daryl said forcefully.

She jumped, startled.

"Alright, it was just a suggestion," she said quietly.

"I mean no thanks. That just ain't such a good idea is all."

"Oh so it's something illegal," she said. It wasn't a question.

Daryl gave her a look.

"Is it drugs?" she said after a moment.

"So nosy," Daryl said meaning to tease her. Then he leaned in a bit closer, "Maybe."

She nodded thoughtfully, "I see why involving the police would be a bad idea. Does he owe someone money?"

"Mhm."

"How much?"

"Five grand."

Beth whistled, "That's not fun."

"No it ain't," Daryl agreed.

"So, I'm guessing you ain't got the money? That's why you need to leave town?"

"You'd be correct," he said, impressed that she'd figured that all out with the little information Daryl had provided her. "You're very perceptive, ain't you," he noted.

"I've been told that before," she said giving him a small smile.

Daryl suddenly found himself wondering why he was telling this girl so much. He'd only just met her, and not under the best circumstances at that. If she wanted to she could take all this information he had just given her and turn him in. He had practically handed her his life on a silver platter, and said do with it as you wish.

However, the more time he spent with this girl and the more he talked to her, he didn't think she would do that. If she'd wanted to turn him in she would have already done it.

"Why were you sleepin' in your car anyway?" he asked changing the subject.

She giggled, "Oh, I live with my sister Maggie and she was having her boyfriend Glenn come over tonight. She told me to make myself scarce. I got an early class tomorrow, so I figured what the hell, I'll just sleep in my car and not have to worry about the commute. Probably shoulda locked the doors though, huh?"

She grinned at him.

At that, Daryl laughed, "Yeah probably shoulda."

"Although, if anyone was gonna try to steal my car with me in it. I'm happy it was you and not some actual creepy psycho killer. My show them kindness plan probably woulda backfired then, am I right?"

Daryl chuckled, then looked at her seriously, "Gotta be more careful."

Beth saluted him, "Yes sir, Mr. Dixon."

He smirked at her. He lifted up his mug to take another sip of his coffee and found it was empty. He must have finished it without realizing. Beth looked down at hers and found the same.

She looked at the clock on the wall, "It's pretty late. We should probably get going. You had somewhere to be before I took you hostage and made you have coffee with me."

She winked at him, and he felt his heart skip a beat.

"S'okay," Daryl shrugged.

He found himself not wanting to leave. He wanted to keep talking to this girl. He looked over and noticed that the two officers had left and he hadn't even noticed. He'd been too wrapped up in their conversation.

"I'll drop you off wherever you want."

"Thanks."

Beth took out her wallet and placed a bill down, paying for their drinks.

"No, I got it," he said reaching for his own wallet.

She reached out her hand and placed it on his to stop him, "I think you should be saving that money for something else, shouldn't you?"

He pursed his lips, "I guess you're right."

He wasn't looking at her though. He was looking at where she touched him. He could still feel it. His hand was practically burning where her skin had touched his.

_Snap out of it, Dixon._

Beth stood to leave and he followed suit. She said goodnight to the waitress and Daryl nodded a goodbye. They emerged from the warmth of the diner and Daryl shivered from the cool night air. He pulled his jacket around him a little tighter.

Beth unlocked her car and slid into the driver's seat. Daryl got in the passenger's side.

"Hope you don't mind riding shotgun," she joked as she started the car.

"Ha ha very funny," he grumbled trying to hide his smile.

She pulled out of the parking lot and back out onto the main road, "Where to, Daryl?"

He liked the way his name sounded on her lips. He suddenly found himself wondering what they would feel like against his own. He pushed the thought away almost as quick as it had come.

He told her the name of the bar he'd left Merle. She took the first right and headed toward it. A few moments later she pulled up in front of the shabby building and put the car in park.

"Well," she said turning to him. "I wish you and your brother luck."

"Thanks," he said quietly, then added, "for everything."

She smiled at him, and he wished he could stay with her all night and just keep staring at that smile.

He moved to get out then looked back at her, "You headed back to sleep in the parking lot?" he asked suddenly nervous for her. He didn't want her going back there alone it wasn't safe. Which was weird coming from him considering how they'd met.

She shook her head, "Nah, I have like four hours until my class and Maggie and Glenn should hopefully be done with their . . . activities so I'm gonna go sleep in my own bed. Not looking to make any more friends who try to steal my car tonight."

His heart leapt a little when she referred to them as friends. He had to remind himself that she was just kidding around.

"Good idea."

He got out of the car then stood next to it looking at her through the open window.

"Well, night Daryl."

"Night Beth."

She moved to put the car back in drive.

"Wait," Daryl said. She looked up at him.

"I'm sorry for tryin' to steal your car," he said staring down at his feet.

When he looked up at her he could have sworn she looked a little disappointed.

She smiled at him softly, "I forgive you."

She put the car in drive, and maneuvered away from the curb. He stood there and watched her drive off. He was still standing there even after she was long gone, wondering what the hell he'd gotten himself into.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Surprise! This chapter is done much earlier than I expected. I know I said I was gonna take a few days to get the plot straight, but it all just fell into place. So here I am with chapter three! Thank you all so much for you kind words/comments/reviews/kudos etc. You all fuel my creativity and desire to get this story out.**  
**Thanks again, and enjoy. Feedback very much appreciated!**

"Okay, let me get this straight," Maggie said. "You woke up last night to some guy trying to steal your car, _with you in it,_ and instead of calling the police you went and got coffee with him?"

Beth, who was having a quick bowl of cereal before leaving for her class, nodded at her sister weakly. She'd barely gotten any sleep last night after getting home from dropping Daryl off, and she was pretty much dead on her feet.

Maggie gaped at her younger sister, "What is wrong with you?! Were you trying to get yourself killed?!"

Beth sighed. She'd known that Maggie wasn't going to handle what Beth had chosen to do with Daryl well, and had almost opted not to tell her about it at all. When it came down to it though, she knew she had to. The Greene Family didn't keep secrets from one another, and Beth wasn't ashamed of what she'd done. Her instincts about Daryl were right and she was happy she hadn't taken the matter to the police. If she had, Daryl would be in jail right now and he didn't deserve that. He was only trying to do what he thought he needed to do to help his brother. She could relate to that. She would do absolutely anything she had to if Maggie was in trouble.

Sure, she'd been scared at first when she woke up to her car being turned on by someone who was not her. The first though that had flashed through her head was,_ I forgot to lock the fucking doors_. This was quickly followed up by her second thought, _I'm going to die_. For a moment she'd been frozen in fear, unsure of what to do next. Then she had heard Daryl start to hum softly to himself. She'd shifted up slightly trying to get a better look at the driver. He hadn't looked dangerous. He looked tired. She could see that this was a man that had been through a lot in his life. He carried it in the way he held himself, and she could see it in his eyes. They'd see too much for a man of his age.

She watched him silently for a moment before her crazy plan had popped into her head. She recalled the shocked look on his face when she had popped up from the backseat and suggested they go out for coffee. He'd looked at her like she was insane, and she couldn't really blame him because in that moment she very well might have been.

She smiled at the memory.

"As you can clearly see I'm still alive and kicking," Beth said to her sister, and kicked her legs in the air halfheartedly to prove her point.

"That's not the point, Beth!" Maggie scolded. "The point is you _could_ have been hurt!"

Beth heard Glenn groan sleepily from his place on the sofa. She was right when she told Daryl that Glenn and Maggie were probably done with their _activities_, but that didn't mean they'd gone to bed. They were sitting on the couch watching a movie when Beth walked in. Before she'd even been in the door for two seconds, Maggie was already interrogating her about where she'd been and who she'd been with. Beth, who wasn't much in the mood to be lectured by her sister, had told her she was way too tired to talk and that they'd discuss it in the morning.

In actuality though, Beth wasn't tired. She was still wired and wide awake from the time she'd spent talking to Daryl. She had lain in bed for nearly an hour after getting back thinking about him. Most of all she'd been wondering why he hadn't asked to see her again. She could have sworn he was about to right before she'd pulled away, but instead he'd just apologized for trying to steal her car. She hoped he hadn't noticed the disappointed look on her face.

She could understand why he wouldn't want to see her again though. They hadn't met under the best circumstances, but she thought that after all the awkwardness over the situation was over with that they'd actually been getting along. She'd enjoyed talking to him, but he apparently hadn't felt the same.

She pushed him out of her mind. He was probably long gone by now anyway. He'd probably grabbed his brother and headed out of town right after she dropped him off. She was probably never going to see him again.

She did her best to ignore how much that thought upset her, because she couldn't really understand _why_ it bothered her so much. He shouldn't have been someone she wanted to spend time with, but she did. She found him fascinating.

"Maggie, just leave it. She's alright. The guy didn't kill her and chop her up into little bits," Glenn said standing up and walking over to them, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes on the way.

He plopped into the chair next to Maggie heavily, and reached for the cereal. He poured himself and bowl, and looked up at Beth.

"Just be more careful next time," he said pointing at her with his spoon.

"I will be," Beth promised.

"Glenn, seriously?" Maggie said directing her anger towards him.

Glenn winked at Beth, and she smiled knowingly. This was somewhat of a regular occurrence around here. He'd done it on purpose to deflect some of Maggie's attention off of her. Glenn was good like that.

He'd been with her sister for nearly three years and she'd come to think of him like a brother. It was nice, seeing as her actual brother Shawn had died in a car accident a little over six years ago. Beth missed him something awful, but was happy she had Glenn in her life to take on some of the elder brother roles.

"You're seriously siding with her on this?" Maggie said accusingly.

Glenn merely shrugged and shoveled some cereal into his mouth.

"You don't think what she did was at all problematic?"

While Maggie was distracted by yelling at Glenn, Beth made her escape. She jumped up and deposited her bowl in the sink, grabbed her bag off the counter, and made for the front door. She threw a farewell and a grateful glance at Glenn over her shoulder as she went, and slammed the door shut behind her.

Beth headed out to her car and slid into the driver's seat. She inhaled and found that it still smelt like Daryl. She frowned and rolled the windows down. She didn't need another reminder of the fact that she was probably never going to see him again.

A few minutes later she pulled into the campus parking lot, and parked in the same spot she had been the night before. She rolled her eyes internally at herself for being so ridiculous. She got out of the car, remembering to lock the doors this time, and headed off to her sociology class.

That was her major. That was why she was able to read Daryl so well the night before. It was what she did. She studied people. It was what she would do in her spare time if she was out in public. She would watch people, learn about them. It was what she liked to do, and she was good at it. After meeting someone she could decrepit their personality within just a few moments of talking to them.

Daryl had been a bit harder to read than those she studied usually though. Even after talking with him for all that time, she had barely scratched the surface. She was lucky to have even gotten anything about what was going on with his brother, and she chalked that up to mostly a few observations and plain dumb luck. I.e., saying his brother was running from someone, and not wanting to include cops. The rest Beth had literally just pulled right out of her ass. She was actually pretty surprised when she had gotten it right, and that Daryl had told her so.

Her class was over in an hour and a half, and Beth was thankful that today was her short day and she only had one. She was running on fumes and didn't know if she'd be able to sit through another lecture about Conflict Theory. She headed back toward the parking lot, thinking about how nice it would be when she was finally curled up back in bed at home.

She was so engrossed in her fantasy about falling back asleep, that she almost hadn't noticed a familiar figure walking up the path toward her. His head was angled down, and he hadn't seen her yet. She waited until they were directly next to each other, and then spoke up.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were stalking me," she accused playfully.

Daryl looked up startled, and when he saw her he ducked his head. Beth could see a blush rising up his neck.

"No," he said sheepishly looking up at her and rubbing the back of his neck, "I just needed some air. Got in a fight with Merle."

"Is that your brother?" she asked.

"Oh, yeah," he confirmed.

Now she had a name to go with the story. Merle Dixon, the man on the run from drug dealers. She didn't share this with Daryl, figuring he wouldn't take too kindly on Beth creating a study of his brother in her mind.

"Looking for another car to steal? "Cause I remembered to lock mine this time!" she teased.

He blushed, "No."

"I thought you would have been long gone by now."

He shook his head, "Nah, ain't doing that anymore. I think we'll stick around."

She suppressed a smile. So he wasn't leaving anymore. She couldn't deny she was happy about that.

"What about the people Merle's running from?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Told 'im to take care of it. No reason I should have to uproot my life for him every time he fucks up."

Beth smiled at him, "Good for you." _And good for me._

Daryl shuffled his feet awkwardly, and Beth could tell he was embarrassed that she'd caught him wandering around her campus.

"What are you doing right now?" she asked.

"Nothing, why?" Daryl asked eyeing her.

Chalk it up to lack of sleep, but Beth was feeling bold.

"How would you feel about getting another coffee with me? No strings attached! I'm not threatening you and you're allowed to say no!"

He smirked at her, "Sure, I ain't got nothin' better to do."

"Well don't sound so enthused!"

He chuckled, "My apologies, Ms. Greene. I would love to accompany you for a cup of coffee." He raised an eyebrow at her. "Better?"

"Much," she said happily. "C'mon I'm parked this way."

The pair headed off to the parking lot.

When they got to the diner it was a bit busier than it had been a few hours earlier. Beth led Daryl over to the same table they'd shared previously and sat down. A different waitress came over and took their orders. This time Beth ordered coffee and pancakes. After close examination of the menu, Daryl closed it and told the waitress, "I'll have what she's having."

Beth raised an eyebrow and him, and he shrugged.

Their food and drinks came out quickly, and Beth dug in. She took a big bite of her pancakes, and looked up to find Daryl watching her with a big grin on his face. She swallowed, and then narrowed her eyes at him.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head, "Nothing. It's just funny seeing such a little thing eat like that."

"Like what?" she said narrowing her eyes further. "Tread lightly, Dixon," she warned him

He laughed, "Don't worry about it. It's kinda cute anyways."

"You bet your ass it is," she agreed taking another bite.

He looked at her with an amused expression on his face, and then started in on his own food.

A few moments later she heard him say something under his breath. She looked up, questioning.

"Oh," he said noticing her gaze, "I just realized I need to find a job if I'm gonna be stickin' around. I ain't got no money."

She nodded, "That would be wise."

He sat staring off into space, lost in thought.

"What are you good at?" she said pulling him back.

He blinked at her a few times.

"I like cars," he said finally. "Fixin' 'em and such."

She smiled broadly.

"What?" he said warily.

"I think I know a place that'll hire you," she said happily.

Daryl shook his head, "No, you've already done too much for me as it is. You don' need to be findin' me a job too. I'm a big boy."

"No, I don't mind. It's a family friend. He owns an auto repair place. I'm sure he'd be willin' to give you an interview," she reassured him.

"I dunno, Beth," he said hesitantly.

"C'mon please!" she urged. "Just go in for an interview. I'll set everything up. Please?"

He thought it over for a few moments before finally nodding, "Okay. I'll go in for an interview."

"Yay!" she clapped.

Beth knew she was doing this mainly for Daryl. He needed a job, and she knew a place. However, at the back of her mind she found herself thinking that maybe she was doing it for herself too. Maybe she just wanted to tie him down to a place when she knew she could find him.


	4. Chapter 4

Daryl woke up to his phone ringing way too loudly next to his head. He reached his hand out and slapped around on the floor before finally feeling the cool plastic against his palm. He picked it up and held it up next to his face, cracking an eye open to see who dared to call him at such an early hour. He found the culprit to be Beth, of course. He sighed, suddenly regretting giving her his number.

He struggled to sit up, and found that he'd fallen asleep on the couch again. He spied an empty bottle of jack on the floor and figured that had probably helped him along. He rubbed at his eyes groggily and hit talk.

"What?" he grunted into the phone, skipping a greeting.

"Well good afternoon to you too," he heard Beth's bright voice over the line.

"Afternoon?" he questioned.

"Mhm, it comes after noon, and seeing as it's almost one I think it qualifies."

"Almost one?" he yawned. "I guess that's why you're so damn chipper."

"Don't tell me you just got up," she groaned. "We have your interview at two. You didn't forget did you?"

"I didn't forget," he grumbled. "How could I with you texting me all last night reminding me. And what's it matter if I just got up anyways? I'm up now ain't I?"

"Only because I called you and woke you up." He could practically hear her rolling her eyes at him over the phone.

"Semantics," he huffed dismissively.

"I'm still picking you up at 1:30 right?" she said getting to the point.

"I already told I don't need you to go with me. I can find the place myself. It can't be too hard in this tiny town."

"And I already told you Dale expects me to be there. It's not a big deal, really. I don't have class today so it's not like I have much else going on."

"Fine, fine," Daryl agreed. If he was being honest with himself he was glad she'd insisted on bringing him. It gave him an excuse to see her again. That's why he tried not to be honest with himself when it came to Beth.

"Cool. Text me your address?" she requested.

"Sure thing boss," he said and hung up.

He quickly texted Beth the address of the cabin he and Merle had been staying in, and placed his phone down on the coffee table. He moved to stand up. If he was going in for a job interview that meant he'd have to clean himself up a bit. Shower, clean shirt, un-ripped jeans, the whole nine.

"Was that yer girlfriend?" Daryl heard a voice say behind him. He turned around to find Merle leaning on the doorframe of his bedroom glaring at him. He had an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips.

"I already told you she ain't my girlfriend. I barely know 'er. She's just helpin' me get a job to help pay for your stupid ass in case you forgot 'bout that." Daryl spat at him.

Merle chuckled humorlessly. "Yeah she must be real helpful seeing you met 'er when you was tryin' to steal 'er car. Tell me little brother, did you show 'er a real good time? Is that why she's being so helpful?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"She's just a good person," Daryl said narrowing his eyes. "You should be thankful for her instead of givin' me shit about it. If she hadn't been so nice my ass would be rottin' in jail right now. Then where would you be, huh?"

Merle held up his hands in surrender. "Alright little brother calm down. I was just kiddin' around. Didn't mean to insult you or your new girl."

Daryl scowled at him. Ever since he'd shown up at the bar without a car Merle had been giving him shit.

He gaped at Daryl after he'd told him what had just happened with Beth.

"Why didn't you run?" he'd asked him incredulously. "Didn't I ever teach you anythin'? You get caught doin' somethin' you shouldn't be, you haul ass outta there. What's wrong with you?"

Daryl had just shrugged at him. He honestly didn't know why he hadn't run. He was happy now that he didn't though. He'd met Beth. If he had run he never would have gotten the chance to get to know her.

"It don' matter," Daryl had told him. "She didn't call the cops."

"Which you only know 'cause you stayed like the stupid ass you are! How are we supposed to get out of town now, walk?"

"I wanted to talk to you about that," Daryl said. "I don' think we should leave."

Merle had just stared at him. "What do you mean you don't think we should leave? You do remember who I'm running from, don't cha? Or does girlie got cha brain all rattled?"

"You could probably work somethin' out," Daryl had said, suddenly finding something on his shoe very interesting.

"This wasn't supposed to be some place we stuck around, 'member?"

Daryl shrugged. "Maybe I don' wanna just keep wanderin' around anymore. That ain't no life."

"This is about that bitch from the car ain't it? She got your panties all in a twist and is messin' with our plan!" Merle accused.

Daryl leveled his eyes with him and glared. "It ain't got nothin' to do with her. We just got a good set up is all. We found the abandoned cabin right at the edge of the woods, we can hunt. It's nice is all havin' a place to hang my hat at the end of the day."

Merle thought about it for a long moment, studying Daryl's face. Finally he sighed.

"Okay baby brother. I'll try and work something out for you. Just know if I die in the process it's all your fault and I'll come back and haunt your ass!" He grinned, suddenly back in good spirits. That was Merle though. Nothing kept him down for long.

Daryl grinned back at him. In the end he always knew Merle would give in. He may be a dick sometimes but he was still Daryl's older brother and he wanted him to be happy.

Although, just because Merle had agreed to stay didn't mean Daryl was off the hook. He took any and every opportunity since then to give Daryl shit about Beth and anything else he could. If that was the worst of it though, Daryl knew he could handle it.

What he had said about wanting a home had all been true. He'd been following Merle from place to place his entire life, and never was able to settle down or put down any roots. Daryl wasn't getting any younger, he was nearly thirty five now. He wasn't saying he wanted a family though, because he didn't. He'd surely fuck it up like his daddy had before him. All Daryl wanted was a place to call his own, and he thought he could have that here.

"What was that phone call about anyways," Merle said walking into the room and plopping down in the spot Daryl had just abandoned. He grabbed a lighter off the coffee table and lit his cigarette. He inhaled deeply and then blew the smoke out of his mouth.

"I got an interview today at some auto repair place. She's givin' me a ride."

"Aw how nice," Merle snickered.

Daryl grimaced. "Imagine what would happen if you put all this energy you use to give me shit toward somethin' productive. Think of how successful you'd be. Maybe you could even get a job."

Merle shook his head. "You know how it is little brother. Ole Merle's never been too good at holdin' down a job. The boss never understands me."

"Yeah cause you'd go into work loaded every day. Bosses tend not to take too kindly to that. You could at least try and make an effort. I'm fuckin' doing this for your stupid ass."

Merle held up his hands. "I'll get out of your hair so you can go get pretty to meet your girlfriend. I got somewhere to be anyways." As if on cue a horn honked outside the cabin. "That's my ride. See you later baby brother."

He was out the door quickly and Daryl stood glaring at his retreating back.

He sighed, knowing that Merle would never change. He'd been this way his entire life.

Daryl checked the clock on the wall and realized that Beth was supposed to picking him up in less than a half an hour. He quickly moved into the bathroom and began stripping off his clothes. He showered quickly, and then darted into his bedroom. He went through his laundry, attempting to find something at least slightly clean. He came up with an only slightly wrinkled flannel and a pair of jeans with only one small hole in the knee.

They'd have to do. He was interviewing for a job as a mechanic, not the damn president of the United States. How nice did he have to look? He pulled them on hastily and went back into the living room to check the time. 1:25, Beth should be there any minute.

At exactly 1:30 Daryl watched her car pull up in front of the cabin. He walked outside to meet her. He saw Beth squinting at the house from the front seat. She stopped when she saw him and waved. He slid into the passenger seat beside her.

"Hey," she smiled at him.

He nodded a greeting at her.

"I could barely find this place. My GPS didn't even know it existed," she said with a laugh. "So, this is where you live?" She leaned over so she could look past him out the window to get a better look at the tiny cabin.

Daryl looked out at it as well, and viewed it the way an outsider would. The way Beth would.

He had to admit, it wasn't a pretty sight. It was a small dilapidated building that looked like it could blow over if a strong wind came by. The grass was overgrown, and beer cans littered the front lawn courtesy of him and Merle. He was happy she hadn't come to the door to get him because the inside wasn't much better.

He suddenly felt self-conscious and wished he hadn't let her come here. He should have just met her somewhere far away from his shitty cabin. It was probably nothing like she was used to. She probably had a nice big house growing up and lived in a nice clean apartment now. He waited for the snobby comment that was no doubt coming, but she didn't say a word. He looked at her and instead of looking at him in disgust or pity; she was just looking at him normal. Like she couldn't give two shits about where Daryl lived.

His embarrassment shifted into guilt for thinking so poorly of her. Of course she wouldn't care if he lived in a shithole. She'd shown him that she was nothing but a good person up until now and he wasn't sure why he would just assume the worst of her. It was probably because that's what he was used to. He'd always just assume everyone was shitty, and most of the time he was never proven wrong.

"Me and Merle found it when we came into town. It was abandoned. I don't imagine anyone's been here in years," he said finally.

"You like it?" she asked.

"It's good for us I think. Isolated, right on the woods so I can hunt, free . . ." He shrugged. He did like it. It may have been a shithole, but it was his shithole.

She raised an eyebrow, "You hunt?"

"Yeah." She looked at him peculiarly with a small smile on her lips. "What you looking at me like that for, girl?" he asked her defensively.

"Just trying to picture you with a big rifle over your shoulder creeping through the woods," she admitted.

"Well you can stop because I ain't one for guns. They're too loud and just end up scarin' critters away. I'm a bowman myself, quiet, discrete. Just like me."

She laughed and it sounded like music. "Like a bow and arrow? Okay, Robin Hood."

"More like a crossbow, thank you very much," he frowned at her. "You ain't gonna catch me prancin' around in no tights like that fool."

Beth smirked, "Too bad. You'd probably look pretty good in them."

She eyed him up and down with a wicked gleam in her eye and Daryl felt himself begin to blush.

"We going or not?" he mumbled, ducking his head.

Beth laughed, "Yeah we're going," she said and pulled away from the curb and made her way back towards town.

They rode in silence for a few moments.

"Why are you being to quiet?" Beth said and poked him in the ribs lightly.

He felt his skin tingle where she had touched him.

"Hm? Just thinking I guess."

"About what?" she pressed.

He sighed, "You always so nosy?"

She grinned broadly, "Always."

"Just preparing myself I guess," he said with a shrug.

"For the interview?"

"Yeah. I ain't really a people person so . . ."

"You? Not a people person? I am shocked!" she quipped.

"You mockin' me girl?" he said widening his eyes at her.

"Maybe a little," she said, holding up her thumb and pointer finger almost pressed together.

"I know a can be a little rough sometimes . . . mean even," he grunted. "So I just don' wanna mess it up after you went to all this trouble for me. It's more than I deserve."

"You aren't mean to me," she pointed out.

"Well I stole your car and you didn't have me arrested, so I don't really know how mean I could be to you." He hitched his mouth up a little. 'Sides you're too sweet to be mean to."

"That ain't true! I'm a big girl, I can take it!"

"I don't doubt it," he chuckled. "I just wouldn't feel right doing it is all."

"I don't need you babying me, Dixon! I want you to be yourself around me. You don't have to be sweet on me just because you're scared I'll turn you in." He looked at her and could tell that she really meant what she was saying.

"I don' think I could be mean to you even if I tried. That's me being myself," Daryl assured her.

She didn't reply. She just stared out the windshield with a stupid grin on her face.

A moment later they pulled into the parking lot of a tiny auto body shop. The garage door was open and Daryl could see three men working inside. Beth parked and got out of the car, Daryl was right behind her.

The men had noticed them pull up and waved to Beth. She waved back. The oldest of the group stopped what he was doing, and made his way over to them. He pulled a rag out of his back pocket and wiped his hands with it.

"Hey Dale," Beth said brightly. "How are you?" She leaned in and gave him a quick hug.

"I'm just wonderful, thank you for asking. How are you? How's the car?" he said pulling back.

"I'm good and the cars still a piece of crap. Thanks for asking though," she said with a smile.

"This is guy you were talking so highly about?" Dale said gesturing to Daryl.

Daryl raised an eyebrow at Beth. She had spoken highly of him? She shrugged at him and smiled.

"Yes sir, this is Daryl Dixon," she said brightly.

Dale held out a hand, and Daryl shook it firmly. One of the things Daryl had learned from his father was that any self-respecting man had a firm grip during a handshake.

"Nice to meet you," Dale said to him.

"You too, sir," Daryl replied.

"Sir?" Dale laughed. "I don't think so. That's way too formal for me. Call me, Dale."

"Alrigh' Dale," Daryl nodded.

"So, Daryl," he said getting right to business. "You got any experience?"

"My old man used to have a shop when I was growing up. I spent a lot of my time workin' there."

"That's nice," Dale noted. "He still in business?"

"He's dead," Daryl said flatly. He heard Beth gasp quietly and could see her looking at him sadly out of the corner of his eye. He wished she'd stop.

"Oh, well I'm very sorry," Dale said looking at him with sympathy.

"I ain't."

Dale nodded thoughtfully. Daryl could tell that Beth was taken aback by his bluntness, and winced knowing it would probably be something else she'd press him about later.

"Work anywhere else?" Dale asked changing the subject.

Daryl shook his head. "Never really stuck around anywhere long enough to keep a job," he admitted.

"Okay. Why don't you come over here and we can talk cars. See what you know," he winked at him. "Beth you're more than welcome to join us."

Beth scrunched her nose and made a face. Daryl tried not to notice how cute she looked when she did it.

"No thanks boys. You know cars ain't really my thing."

"Fair enough," Dale said and led Daryl into the garage.

Daryl answered his questions with ease. Even though he hadn't had a car of his own in a while he still knew practically everything about them. His father had made sure of that when he was growing up. He tried to give Dale his full attention, but he kept getting distracted by Beth.

Currently, she was pacing aggressively next to her car, having a heated argument with someone over the phone. He couldn't hear what she was saying but he could hear the increasing volume of her voice as she yelled at the person on the other end of the line. Daryl resolved right then and there to try and stay off Beth's bad side. For such a pretty little thing, she sure was scary when she was screaming at someone.

He saw her hang up abruptly, and then lean on the hood of her car. She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Daryl turned his attention back to Dale who was nodding his head.

"Well Daryl, I have to say I'm impressed. You really know your stuff."

"Thank you."

"I think you'll fit in well here. Can you start tomorrow?"

It took him a few seconds to register the words. "I got the job?" he asked.

Dale laughed, "Yes son, you got the job. You may even know more than I do. If I wasn't the owner I'd be scared you'd end up taking my job."

Daryl couldn't help but grin at the old man. He'd gotten the job. He couldn't believe it. Beth saw him smiling and made her way over to them. Dale turned and started discussing something with the other two mechanics.

"Good news?" she said grinning.

"I got it," Daryl smiled at her. "All Thanks to you."

"No need to thank me. That was all you buddy," she clasped his bicep.

He froze and stared down at her tiny hand wrapped around his arm. He could feel heat radiating through his body from her touch. Beth mistook his reaction as discomfort and dropped her hand quickly. The happy expression stayed on her face though.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to start saving up for a car." He paused and made a face. "After I pay for Merle first though."

"I'll drive you until then," Beth said quickly.

He shook his head. "I'll walk. I ain't gonna put you out like that. One time is fine, but not every day."

"It's like three miles," Beth pointed out.

He shrugged. "I'll manage."

"Stop being ridiculous, it's not a big deal!"

"It is," he insisted.

Dale turned back to them, "Look at you two, so young and yet you're already fighting like an old married couple. You remind me of me and my wife."

"We ain't together," Daryl said a little harsher then he'd intended to. He winced and turned to read Beth's expression. It had remained neutral.

"Yeah," she agreed, "we're just friends."

There was that word again. Friends. He wondered if she actually meant it when she used it or she was just being polite. They hadn't really known each other long enough to actually be considered friends, but still. It made something deep inside Daryl stir every time she said it.

"You could have fooled me," Dale said with a chuckle. "And since I was eavesdropping, I think I have a solution to your problem. See that rusty pick-up over there?" He pointed toward an old blue truck parked next to the shop. "I've had that thing for a while. Been meaning to fix it up, but I just don't got the time. If you can get it running, it's yours."

Beth grinned widely and looked up at him. "Oh my gosh, wow! Isn't that great, Daryl?"

"Are you serious?" Daryl asked eyeing him.

"Yeah," Dale said. "I don't see myself getting around to it any time soon, and even if I did I have no use for it. It'd be better in your hands."

"Wow. Well, thank you," Daryl said seriously.

"Don't mention it!"

"So how about I drive you until you get that thing running? Do we have a deal?" Beth suggested, looking at him with those big blue eyes. Daryl didn't think he'd been able to refuse her anything with those eyes. If she told him to jump, he'd ask how high.

"Deal," he grumbled. She reached out a hand and they shook on it.

"Good, everything's settled. Now before you go let me introduce you to the boys. This is Theodore, or T-Dog as he likes to be called, and Tyreese." Dale gestured to the other two men.

Greetings were exchanged. Dale told Daryl to be there around ten the next morning and then bid him and Beth farewell. They walked back to Beth's car and got in.

"You know," she said with a playful smile, "you're probably gonna be seeing a lot of me from now on. My car's a piece of shit, so it's basically always in the shop. I'm surprised it's even running right now to be completely honest."

"Is that so?" Daryl said. He could imagine worse things.

"It is," she said with a smirk.

"So, who were you on the phone with?" Daryl said casually as Beth turned back onto the road.

She made a face. "You saw that?"

He nodded. "Yep. Seemed pretty heated too."

She sighed. "I was talking to Maggie."

"Would it be self-absorbed of me to assume I was the topic of conversation?" he said nonchalantly.

She glanced at him sheepishly. "She just worried about me."

"I still can' believe you told her 'bout me."

When Beth had told Daryl that she'd told her sister about him he was shocked to say the least. He could only imagine how her older sister had reacted to being told that some guy had tried to steal her little sister's car with her in it and not only had she not called the police, but she'd taken him out for coffee. Now she had even gotten him a job. He really couldn't blame Maggie if she was a little . . . concerned.

Beth smiled weakly. "We don't keep secrets from each other."

"If your sister's this mad, I can only imagine how pissed your daddy would be if you told him."

He meant it as a joke, but Beth stayed silent.

He looked over at her. "You can't be serious. You're gonna tell your dad too? Damn girl you are honest."

She shrugged, "It's not like I'm ashamed about it." She smiled at Daryl sweetly, before turning her attention back to the road.

Daryl could have sworn he felt his heart skip a beat. However, anything he was feeling he kept well hidden. Beth didn't mean anything by it like it meant for him. She was just a sweet girl. She was probably this way with everyone.

He looked out the window and saw that they were already pulling up in front of his cabin. The drive had gone by too quickly. She pulled over and put the car in park.

She turned to him. "See you tomorrow morning?"

Daryl nodded. He unbuckled his seatbelt and got out. He stood on other side of the door staring at her. She stared back.

"Well, bye I guess," she said after a moment.

"Bye," he replied.

But she didn't drive away. She just kept looking at him.

Finally, she giggled and looked down.

"Okay," she said putting the car in drive. "Bye for real."

He smirked at her. "Bye for real."

She pulled away from the curb and drove off. Daryl stood and watched her car disappear like he had two nights before, wishing there was some way to fast forward to tomorrow morning.

**AN:Hello! I almost didn't think I was going to get this chapter out today, but since I have to go back to school tomorrow and Easter is this weekend I figured I should crank it out in case I didn't get another chance to write for a bit. So here's chapter four. It's a little long because I needed this all to be in the same chapter, so you're welcome. **  
**Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate!**  
**Thank you again to everyone for your kind words! Feedback is very much appreciated by me because it makes me smile and it also makes me type faster. (;**


	5. Chapter 5

After watching the road that Beth's car disappeared down for a few moments, Daryl turned back to face the cabin and winced. It really wasn't nice to look at.

He kicked an empty beer can by this foot, and then bent down to pick it up. Then he picked up the one next to it, then another, and another. Soon he had gathered up too many to hold in his arms, and he went into the cabin to grab a bag to put them in. After depositing the cans in the bag, he took it outside and continued his work.

After he had picked up every can and bottle in the front yard, he moved into the house. A half an hour later all the garbage was picked up, and Daryl was on his hands and knees in the front yard weeding.

He heard someone behind him clear their throat. He looked over his shoulder, squinting into the sun, and saw Merle with his head cocked staring down at him strangely.

"What cha doing down their?" Merle said and looked over to the porch and saw the bags of recyclables and trash. "Little spring cleaning?"

Daryl grunted at him. "Why don't you get down here and help me with this instead of just starin' like a jackass."

Much to Daryl's surprise, he did. He knelt down beside Daryl slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder to ease himself down.

"I'm gettin' old," he groaned.

"You are old," Daryl reminded him.

"Yeah, and you ain't far behind me," Merle shot back as he began to pull weeds out of the ground. "Why you doing this anyway?"

"I just want our place to look nice. That a crime?"

Merle gave him a look. "What's with you lately? You been acting weird."

"Now I haven'. What, just because I wanna clean up our home that means somethin's gotta be wrong? If we are gonna stay here a while I don' really wanna live in a pigsty do you?" he said defensively.

Merle smirked at him. "Whatever you say."

Daryl could feel heat rising to his cheeks and hoped Merle didn't notice.

They worked in silence for a while. It was nice just working on a small task like this with his brother. It had been a long time since they'd done anything together that didn't involve booze or women. It really didn't matter that they were always together, Daryl missed his older brother. He missed stuff like this.

"I guess it is kinda nice here. I've met some people." Merle said, surprising Daryl yet again.

"Really?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah really. I met this one chick, and the things she can do with her mouth you would not believe baby brother." He tilted his head back and hummed.

Daryl sighed. _Looks like the nice moment is over_, he thought.

"She's probably got a friend I could set you up with."

"Yeah, no thanks," Daryl snorted.

"Right, I forgot about the car girl. You hit that yet, or are you still being a little bitch?"

"I've only known her for like three days." Daryl said dismissively.

Merle's expression didn't change. "My question stands. Did you hit it or not?"

"Not," he huffed. "And I ain't goin' to. It ain't like that. We're just . . . friends."

Even as he said the words he could feel his stomach flip. Try as he might to deny it, but he wanted it to be like that. He couldn't overlook the fact that she was attractive because it was impossible. It wasn't just her looks that drew him to her though. He may have only met her a few days before, but since then Beth Greene had dominated his thoughts. He'd catch himself thinking about her smile or her laugh or the way she looked when she got excited about something. She was just so . . . cute. Daryl had never found a woman cute before. In his mind they were either hott, or they weren't. Beth had made him open up an entirely different category in his mind, but reserved only for her.

He knew it was all futile though. She was a typical southern bell, sweet as pie, but off limits too men like him. Yes, she may have been nice to him. She may have hung out with him. Hell, she may have even flirted with him. Daryl knew he couldn't take any of that too seriously though. It was just her nature. Beth Greene was a nice girl, and she might have been his friend, but she'd never be more. Daryl couldn't afford to think otherwise.

They pulled out the remaining weeds, and Merle stood up and grabbed a garbage bag. They bagged the weeds and placed them on the porch next to the other bags of trash. One of them would have to deal with them eventually, but for now Daryl turned back to the yard examined the work he'd done. He nodded as he looked around. It looked alright. He felt good.

The cabin still looked like it could fall down and any given moment and the grass was still overgrown, but it was something. It was progress.

"Looks pretty good, little brother. We make a good team." Merle said appearing next to him with two beers in hand.

He handed one to Daryl, and he popped the top and took a long pull.

He nodded thoughtfully. "I don't know where you're getting this 'team' business from seeing as I did most of the work, but yeah it looks okay."

"I helped!" Merle insisted as he sat down on the steps and took a sip from his beer.

"Yeah, you keep telling yourself that." He looked back out at the yard. "I'm gonna have to see 'bout getting a lawn mower over here to do the rest."

Daryl took a seat next to Merle.

"Don' even think about just throwing that on the ground when you're done with it," he warned pointing at Merle's beer can.

Merle let out a chuckle and Daryl smirked at him. He leaned back against the steps and enjoyed the rest of the evening with this brother.

XXX

When Beth got home from dropping Daryl off, Maggie was waiting for her. She was sitting on the couch watching TV alone. She clicked it off when Beth walked in, and turned to glare at her.

"Did you have a nice time with your felon?" she said icily.

"Where's Glenn?" Beth asked in a voice a few octaves too high.

"I sent him home for a little while. I wanted to talk to you," she replied coolly.

Beth swallowed hard. It really wasn't a good sign that Glenn wasn't here. He and Maggie were rarely apart, so the fact that she sent him home so she could talk (or more than likely yell) to Beth made her extremely nervous. Also, the fact that he wasn't here completely eliminated any chance of him distracting Maggie for her.

She sighed and dropped down on the couch beside her.

"Okay, let me have it."

"Beth, seriously where is your head recently? It's bad enough that you didn't call the police the first time you met him _stealing your car_, but now you keep going to hang out with him. I'm starting to think something's seriously wrong with you. You've never done anything so stupid before."

Maggie was right. She'd never done anything stupid before. She'd never done anything wrong before. She'd never done _anything_. Maybe that was the point. Maybe it's why she was so intent on hanging out with Daryl. It was her finally living. Finally doing something rebellious. She almost laughed. Here she was twenty one years old, a completely legal adult, and she was just now trying to rebel against her family. It was pathetic.

"Yeah Maggie I know. That's just it, I've never done anything. You were always the fun one, the wild one. I was the sweet, quiet one who always did what she was told."

Maggie actually laughed. "So that's what this is? This is your act of rebellion? Well please Beth, drop the criminal and go get wasted and have a one night stand or something. Something that can't potentially get you killed."

"He isn't going to kill me!" Beth huffed.

"How could you possibly know that? He could be a crazy psycho killer! You barely know the guy, and even if he doesn't kill you who knows what else he's wrapped up in! He's a criminal Beth!"

"He's not wrapped up in anything, and he isn't a psycho killer or a criminal!"

"That's exactly what a crazy psycho killer would want you to think!" Maggie screamed at her with wild eyes. Then she paused and took a deep breath. "He tried to steal your fucking car. How are you so blind to what he is?" she said more calm.

"You don't even know him!" Beth yelled at her.

She was sick of Maggie talking down to her like she was just some stupid kid. She knew what she was doing.

At least she hoped she did.

"Neither do you!" Maggie yelled back. "Do you even know anything about him? Has he been in jail? Has he ever killed anyone? You caught him trying to steal your car, and from what you've told me he seemed pretty comfortable doing it! Maybe like it wasn't his first time?"

Beth was about to reply and tell her she didn't know what she was talking about. But then she remembered the humming. Daryl had been humming as he drove away in her car, like he was happy. Like he was enjoying himself . . . She tried to push the thought away but it wouldn't leave. Maybe she didn't know him as well as she thought she did.

Maggie took in her sister's silence and distressed expression and smirked. "Finally waking up?"

Beth looked up at her with sad eyes. Maggie's smirk immediately fell from her face, and she reached out and wrapped her sister in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Beth. I just don't want you to get hurt. You have to think about these sorts of things." She smoothed Beth's hair as she spoke.

"He doesn't seem bad, really," she said weakly.

She recalled his smile and his laugh, the cute way he blushed when he got embarrassed. She just couldn't imagine him being a bad person.

"Looks can be deceiving," Maggie sighed.

"I need to talk to him about it. Before I jump to any conclusions," Beth said firmly.

Maggie pulled back and gave Beth a look. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Daddy always taught us to give people the benefit of the doubt," Beth reminded her.

Maggie sighed. "You've always been so stubborn. Once you get an idea in that thick head of yours you don't let it go. Speaking of Daddy, he wants us to have dinner at home tomorrow night." Maggie's eyes darkened. "Unless you already have plans."

"None that I know of. I just have to drive Daryl home from work after my classes."

Maggie closed her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. "If you won't listen to me at least promise you'll be careful."

"I will be," Beth promised.

She left her sister behind on the couch and went into her room. She plopped down on the bed and texted Daryl, confirming the time she was picking him up tomorrow morning. He replied immediately, and her mouth tugged up into a small smile despite her current inner turmoil.

She cracked open a textbook, meaning to get some homework done, but it stayed unread. She kept hearing the sound of Daryl's humming echoing in her head.

Even if she didn't think he was a bad person, she had to admit that she didn't really know him. So, if they were going to be spending time together they would need to have a little talk. Beth had to know who he really was.

XXX

Beth was sweating bullets the next morning when she went to pick up Daryl for work. From what she had already witnessed, Daryl was extremely defensive when it came to discussing anything personal, so the question she was about to ask probably wouldn't sit well with him.

When she pulled up in front of the tiny cabin she found it looked a lot different from when she'd seen it the day before. Trash and empty cans and bottles no longer littered the front law. The huge overgrown weeds had even been pulled. She caught herself wondering if she had been the reason for the cleanup, and then cursed herself for being so self-centered. Daryl could clean up his home if he wanted to without it being inspired by her.

Daryl was standing on the porch having a cigarette when she pulled up. He stubbed it out and waved when he saw her. He jogged down the steps and to the car. Beth's stomach turned uneasily.

He pulled open the car door and climbed inside.

"'Mornin'," he said greeting her with a small smile.

"'Morning," she said weakly as she pulled away from the house.

"You okay?" he said cocking his head.

"Mhm," she lied. She changed the subject. "You excited for your first day?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I actually think I am. I'm pretty excited to start getting work done on that truck. It's been a while since I've had a car. It'll be nice to be able to drive myself around." He eyed her playfully. "Not that I don't enjoyed being chauffeured around by you, and your company though."

She tried to laugh, but it came out sounding flat. He was acting happier than she'd ever seen him. She didn't want to ruin this. She almost chickened out and forgot the whole thing. What did it mattered who he used to be? The only thing that mattered was who he was now and who he wanted to be.

Then she remembered the humming. It had been playing on a loop in her head since she'd spoken to Maggie last night. She didn't know why she was so hung up on it, but for some reason it just bothered her. When she'd first heard it, she found it endearing. It was actually one of the main things that caused her not to freak out right then and there and call the police. But now . . . It just wasn't sitting right with her.

They were almost at Dale's shop so it was now or never. Beth took a deep breath.

"I need to ask you something," she started.

"What?" Daryl said looking at her curiously.

"Promise you won't get mad . . ."

He scrunched his eyebrows together. "Okay . . ."

She stayed silent, trying to work up the courage.

"Beth just say it. You're kinda freakin' me out," he said with a concerned expression on his face.

"Have you ever been in jail for like . . . a crime?" She barely managed to get the words out.

Once she saw Daryl's face, she wished she hadn't said anything at all. He looked like he'd been slapped. His eyes had hardened, and his jaw was set. A bitter taste rose in Beth's mouth.

"That what you think of me?" he asked darkly.

"No! No!" Beth cried. "It's just I was talking to my sister last night, and she got me thinking. I barely know you, and you were trying to steal my car when we met and you were humming, and so I just thought I'd ask . . . It was stupid. Just forget it." she finished lamely.

She pulled into the parking lot of Dale's shop and put the car in park. She turned so she could face Daryl fully, but he was refusing to look at her.

"You promised you wouldn't get mad," she said softly.

He chuckled harshly. "Oh I ain't mad at you, Beth. I'm mad at myself."

"What, why?" she asked confused.

"'Cause," he said turning to her abruptly, "I'm a god dammed fool. That's why."

She knit her eyebrows together. "How are you a fool?"

"For actually believin' for a minute that you didn't think I was some piece of redneck trash!" he said raising his voice.

"No, Daryl I don't think that I swear! I was just curious is all, it doesn't matter to me either way!" she tried to assure him.

"Yeah, that so? So why do you look like I'm 'bout to hurt you, Beth? Huh? Why you sitting as far away as possible if it don' matter? If you ain't scared of me?"

Beth hadn't realized that she had her back pressed against the driver's side door. She'd subconsciously recoiled from Daryl when he began yelling. _Shit_. She wasn't sure why she'd done it though. She didn't believe he'd actually lay a hand on her.

"No, I didn't mean to Daryl. Please, just calm down so we can talk about this." She reached out to touch his arm and he yanked it away from her. He threw open the car door and got out.

"Don' bother pickin' me up later. I don' want your fuckin' pity."

"Daryl!" she cried.

"No, screw you Beth. You're just some privileged princess bitch and I don' need it! Thanks for not gettin' me arrested, but goodbye! I don' wanna see you again!" He slammed the door so hard the whole car shook. Beth was surprised her windows didn't shatter.

She tried to call his name again but her voice was muffled by the slamming door. He stalked away from the car toward the shop. She was going to get out and go after him, but one glance at the clock told her she was already running late for class. She buried her face in her hands and told herself she wouldn't cry. Not here where he could still see her. None of this had gone how she'd planned. She knew he'd be a little angry, but she hadn't expected anything like that.

She took a deep breath and put the car back in drive and pulled out of the parking lot, away from Daryl, and resolved to deal with the problem later.

**AN: Okay, so I've managed to get the next few chapters typed out. That mean's updates should stay fairly regular until my semester ends. Thank you all again for your kind words/reviews/ect. It really makes my day when I wake up and read the comments you all have! (: **  
**Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

Daryl slammed the door to Beth's car as hard as he could, and stalked away.

_Fuck her_, he thought venomously, _fuck that bitch_.

She had looked like she wasn't done talking to him, but at the moment he couldn't care less. He was practically vibrating with anger, and he wouldn't have been surprised if his face turned beat red and smoke started blowing out of his ears.

Dale was already looking up at him as he stormed into the garage, having witnessed his exchange with Beth. _Great_, he thought, _now this nosy old man is going to go poke around in my business. That was just what I fucking need right now. _

"'Morning Daryl. Trouble in paradise I take it?" Dale said with an arched eyebrow.

"Yeah, you could say that," he snapped. "And we ain't together."

Dale held his hands up. "Alright, whatever you say. I'm not one to pry, so I'll just leave it be. Let me show you what you'll be working on today."

Daryl gave him a look. Not one to pry? For some reason he had a hard time believing that was anything other than complete and utter bullshit. Nevertheless, he didn't comment and tell him so. The last thing he needed was to get in a fight with him too after just having it out with Beth. He wasn't sure his blood pressure could take it.

He followed Dale over to a beat up looking silver two door.

"See this one? Needs a whole new engine. Think you can manage?" Dale asked.

"Yeah, I can manage," Daryl replied. He could probably change an engine in his sleep, but he didn't need to go bragging to his new boss so he kept his mouth shut.

As the word boss passed through his head he remembered who had gotten him the job and a fresh wave of anger washed over him. He couldn't imagine keeping this job now. _She'd _gotten it for him and it was just a big fat reminder of her pity. He knew he'd have to stay though, at least for a little while. He needed to get that money for Merle, and Dale had offered him a car. He couldn't pass that up no matter how much he didn't want to have anything to do with Beth.

Maybe after he had fixed the pickup and gotten a few weeks' pay under his belt, he and Merle would skip town like they'd originally planned. _Yeah, fuck this town_, he cursed in his mind, _I am fucking out of here._ He didn't want to risk running into _her _now that he knew what she really thought of him.

His initial reaction about her was right. She was just some privileged bitch who looked down on undesirables like himself. He'd meant to essentially kick Beth out of his life back at the car by telling her to fuck off, and yet she was everywhere. From now on, he'd think of her every time he came to work, every time he looked at his cleaned up house, every time he picked up his crossbow, and probably even every time he had a damn cup of coffee. _Fuck_.

A small part of him, an extremely minuscule part, wasn't above admitting that she had a point. They had met under _un-preferable_ circumstances, so her fears that the guy she was hanging around was bad news weren't entirely unwarranted. But a much bigger part of him, the dominant part, didn't want to admit that he'd maybe overreacted.

He tried to push her out of his head. He had to concentrate now, and he couldn't do that with thoughts of her plaguing his mind.

"Where's everybody else?" Daryl asked. It was just him and Dale in the shop. The other two men, Tyreese and T-Dog, were nowhere to be found.

"I gave them the day off. Thought I'd give you some breathing room for your first day," Dale replied.

"You didn' have to do that," Daryl mumbled.

"I know, but I did anyway. So there's no use fretting over it."

"Alrigh'," Daryl replied. He turned away from Dale and started on his work.

It was calming for him. Being able to work with his hands helped take his mind off Beth. Working on this car reminded him of when he used to work on his motorcycle. It was actually Merle's bike, but he knew virtually nothing about how it worked, so fixing it usually fell to Daryl. God Daryl had loved that bike. It was gone now. Merle had gotten high one night and crashed it. The damage was so extensive that the bike wasn't able to be salvaged. It had torn Daryl up seeing it sold for scrap metal.

Unlike Daryl, Merle hadn't worked at his father's shop. At that point in their lives he had been locked up already. He hadn't been into drugs then, and instead he'd gotten locked up for a robbery. He'd held up a convenience store, and got five years behind bars for it.

If anything he'd been lucky though. While he was locked up he missed out on the ugliest part of their father's alcoholism and abuse. Daryl had been eighteen when Merle got out of jail. Their father died shortly after from a heart attack. It had been the happiest day of his life. Although, he still had the scars to remember him by.

When he was about halfway done with the job, Daryl decided he'd take his lunch and go out and examine the pickup. He headed over to the car and lifted up the hood and took a look around. His search revealed that he'd probably need a new engine and maybe some new sparkplugs. The brakes also weren't looking to hot, and it needed an oil change. Overall, not a big deal. He could probably be done in a couple of days once he got the parts in.

He wandered back into the garage and wrote up what he'd need. He walked over to Dale, who was sitting at his desk reading a newspaper, and handed it to him.

"Wanna write me a bill for this? It's what I need for the pickup," he grunted at him.

Dale glanced up at Daryl over his paper.

"Huh? Oh yeah sure one second," he said folding the paper and placing to down on the desk.

He pulled out a pad and stared writing down Daryl's order and crunching the numbers. Daryl leaned back against the wall and waited, doing his best _not_ to think about Beth. He didn't want to open that door back up again until he was at least at home with a bottle of jack in his hand.

"Here you go," Dale said holding Daryl's receipt out a few moments later. Daryl took it from him and Dale picked his paper bag up and starting reading again.

He started to read it over to see how much the damage was and how long it'd take him to work it off, and frowned.

"I think you made a mistake," he said pushing it back at Dale. "It says my total is zero."

"Is that so?" Dale hummed, not looking up from his paper. "If that's what it says I'd have to agree with it."

Daryl scowled at him. "I don' need no charity from you."

Dale peered at him over the top of the paper. "Then don't look at it as charity. It's a gift from me to you."

Daryl continued to glare at him.

Dale sighed. "You know Daryl, I used to be a lot like you."

Daryl scoffed, "Yeah, for some reason I don' quite believe that."

"No, it's true," Dale insisted. "I was a lot like you. And it wasn't until I had someone actually give a shit about me that I was able to change."

Daryl's crossed his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Now, I know I don't know you very well, but I can just tell. There's some good in you. You might not want to believe it, but you do deserve nice things in life, son. And Beth seems to be taken by you, so really that says something all on its own. I've known that girl her whole life and she has an excellent judge of character."

Daryl thought back to their fight this morning and chuckled humorlessly. Yeah, she was a great judge of character. That's why she wanted nothing to do with him.

"Well, I ain't gonna say thank you if that's what you want," Daryl said with a clenched jaw.

"No that's not what I want," Dale said, "but you're welcome either way. Now get back to work!" he said jokingly.

"I'm gonna pay you back every dime of this," Daryl said flatly.

He turned on his heel and head back to the silver two door, before Dale could respond. Daryl really tried to be pissed off at the old man, but he'd looked so sincere when he spoke and with everything going on with Beth right now he just didn't have the energy.

It was about another three hours until he was finally done putting in the new engine. It was nearing five o' clock, and Beth was getting out of class soon. He decided he better start heading home and not risk her showing up here to try and talk to him. He thought about calling Merle and seeing if one of his friends could give him a ride, but changed his mind. He was probably high as a kite or passed out drunk.

Daryl had hoped that Merle's drug debt to Martinez might lessen his appetite, but no dice. He didn't know where his brother was getting his supply or how he was paying for it; and quite frankly he didn't want to know.

He said goodnight to Dale and starting walking home.

Around mile two, he started to understand what Beth meant about it not being a manageable walk. He was sweating to death in the Georgia heat.

Finally, he made it back to the cabin. Once the door was closed behind him, he was already stripping off his clothes and throwing them to the floor. He didn't give a shit if the cabin stayed clean anymore.

He stripped down to his boxers; having no regard for the scars on his back he tried to keep covered. The scars were an insecurity of his that he liked to keep hidden, courtesy of dear ole dad. As far as he could tell he was the only one there and even if Merle was home it's not like he hadn't seen them before.

He headed into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of whiskey off the counter. He took it back into the living room and threw himself down on the couch. He cracked the bottle open and placed it to his lips, taking a long pull. He leaned back into the musty cushions and sighed. He took another sip from the bottle, and closed his eyes. He just wanted to forget.

XXX

Beth wasn't able to concentrate all day. Her mind just kept drifting back to Daryl's face after she'd asked if he'd ever been in prison. She didn't necessarily mean that he'd done anything seriously illegal. Even her daddy had gotten locked up and thrown in the drunk tank more than once when he was younger. That was when he was still an alcoholic. He'd cleaned up his act since then for their family, and he was the best man Beth knew.

She just felt so guilty about Daryl. But then again, wasn't it always the people that had something to hide that acted so aggressive when confronted? That's what she had learned from her observations at least.

Maybe Daryl was a criminal and that's why he had acted so defensive when Beth had brought it up. She didn't want to believe it but after the way he acted . . . she wasn't sure what to believe anymore.

When her classes ended at five, she considered swinging by the shop and trying to get Daryl to talk to her. Even if this was the end of the line for their friendship and he had screamed at her this morning, she really didn't want to leave it like that. Her wariness about him got the better of her though, and she opted to just go home instead. She had to get ready for dinner with her father anyway.

When she got home Glenn and Maggie were sitting on the couch engrossed in some documentary about animals in the Savannah. Beth walking in just as a lioness was taking down a baby zebra. Beth watched in abject horror as the big cat gripped the baby zebra's head between its jaws and clamped down. It was all over quickly and Beth winced. _Poor thing_, she thought.

Beth shifted her attention away from the gore on the screen and studied the pair on the couch. They hadn't heard her come in and she just stood back and watched them for a moment. Glenn had his arm around Maggie and she was sitting curled up beside him with her head resting on his shoulder. Glenn was subconsciously running his fingers up and down Maggie's arm. Beth smiled softly. They just looked so content just sitting there with one another.

She wanted something like that. She'd had boyfriends before. She'd even been pretty serious with her last one, Zach. They were together for almost a year when Beth called it off. He was nice enough but there was just no spark. They'd go on dates out to dinner or the movies, or watch TV on the couch, but it wasn't like it was with Glenn and Maggie. She never felt so completely comfortable and content with him like them. It was like Zach was there, but she was always _aware_ he was there. They never got lost in one another. They were never just completely in synch like Glenn and Maggie. He'd told her that he loved her, and she'd said it back; now though she wasn't sure if she'd meant it. When she saw Glenn and Maggie together, it was obvious they were in love. Every moment, every gesture, every shared look practically screamed it. It had never been like that with Zach.

When she had ended it with him, she remembered him being shocked and upset. He couldn't understand why Beth was calling it off, and hadn't taken it well. She hadn't even been upset. She was thankful that she'd gotten to know him, but their time together was over. That was last year, and Beth had steered clear from relationships ever since.

_What was the point if it wasn't going to be like this?_ she thought as she stared at the couple on the couch.

Beth cleared her throat alerting the pair to her presence. Glenn looked up at her and smiled and Maggie gave her a tired look.

"Hey, how was your day?" she asked. Beth knew what she really asking though.

"I asked Daryl about his past. He didn't take it well. We had a fight," she gave a brief synopsis in a tired voice.

Maggie's eyes filled with concern. "You had a fight? Did he touch you? Are you okay?" she said rapidly, looking Beth over for bruises or injuries.

"He didn't touch me," Beth assured her. "Just yelled."

Maggie's eyed hardened. "Maybe I should have a chat with this guy."

Beth held up a hand. "Please, no. He's pretty angry with me. He told me he didn't want to see me again, so I don't think that will be necessary."

Beth's expression fell slightly. The situation became more real as she said the words out loud.

"I'd say sorry, but . . ." Maggie trailed off.

"Don't bother. I have to get ready before we leave to go to Daddy's. When do you want to go?" she asked.

"We were thinking like a half hour," she said glancing at Glenn who was absorbed in the TV. "He wants us there by six."

"Okay, just gimme a few minutes to change," she said and headed towards her room.

"By the way you forgot to lock the door again this morning when you left for school. I found it unlocked when I got home from work. One of these times were gonna come home to find the place ransacked because you can't remember to lock anything!" Maggie called after her.

Beth waved a hand. "Sorry chief, I'll do better next time," Beth retorted over her shoulder. She walked into her room and turned to shut the door behind her.

"You really should try and cut her some slack about this Daryl guy," she heard Glenn murmur to Maggie. "She obviously likes him."

She shut the door firmly before hearing Maggie's reply. She scrunched her nose. Glenn was smart about a lot of things, but this wasn't one of them. She did not _like _Daryl Dixon. He was just a friend. Or rather, he used to be a friend; a friend that she _may_ have flirted with a few times just to see him blush and get uncomfortable. That was beside the point. None of that mattered now because he didn't want to see her again.

XXX

Forty-five minutes later Beth, Glenn, and Maggie were pulling up in front of the Greene Family farm. Beth smiled as she looked up at the large white farm house. Most of the lights were on inside so it was illuminated in the darkness. It made it look welcoming. It made it look like home. She and Maggie had grown up here, and she had been sad to leave it when she moved out when she started college, but it was time to grow up.

Maggie and Beth had moved out at the same time. Maggie didn't go to college herself, instead opting to stay home and work in their father's veterinary clinic that he ran from a small building on their farmland. Both the girls still worked there, Maggie full time and Beth part-time on the weekends and when she didn't have class.

Their father Hershel had been sad to see his girls go, but he knew it was time for them to go out on their own. It wasn't like they went far, they just moved to the center of town about a fifteen minute drive from the farm. They felt guilty leaving their father all by himself in that big house, their mother Annette had died years prior. He wasn't completely alone though. He had Otis and Patricia, family friends who lived in a guest house and helped out on the farm.

Hershel saw them pull up from inside the house and greeted them on the porch. He pulled Maggie and Beth into a firm hug, and then shook Glenn's hand.

"How are my girls?" he asked with a smile.

"Daddy you saw me literally two hours ago at work," Maggie said with a laugh.

"So? Something of importance could have happened in that two hours," he chuckled. Then he turned to Beth. "How about you Beth? It's been a few days since I saw you last. How are you? Anything exciting happen to you recently?"

Maggie gave Beth a pointed look over Hershel shoulder. Beth resisted the strong urge to stick her tongue out at her sister.

"I'm okay, but I actually have something you talk to you about."

"Is that so? How about we discuss it over dinner? Patricia made lasagna, your favorite Maggie."

"Sounds good, Daddy," Beth agreed.

Hershel led them into the dining room where dinner was already set with four places.

"Patricia and Otis aren't joining us?" Maggie asked as she sat down in the chair Glenn had pulled out for her. He took a seat next to her. Hershel sat across from them with Beth on his side.

"No, they went out to dinner themselves. Date night," he said with a wink. "She insisted on making us dinner though. Bless that woman."

After saying a quick grace, they dug in. Beth could see Maggie practically vibrating in her seat waiting for her to tell Hershel about Daryl. She was probably hoping that if she couldn't talk any sense into Beth, then maybe there father could. Although, it seemed that it wasn't really necessary for anyone to have to talk sense into her anymore.

"So Beth," Hershel said wiping his mouth with a napkin, "what did you want to discuss with me."

She figured there was no sense in beating around the bush, and decided to just dive right into her story and deal with whatever reaction her father had afterwards.

"Well the other night I was sleeping in my car at school—" she started.

"Why were you sleeping in your car?" Hershel interrupted.

She glanced over at Maggie, and she was looking back wide-eyed. Beth considered throwing her sister under the bus. She could only imagine how their very religious father would react to Maggie kicking her sister out of the apartment for the night so she could sleep with her boyfriend. It would serve her right after all the shit she'd been giving Beth about Daryl recently, but on the other hand she was her sister and she couldn't do that to her. Maggie had only been giving her crap because she cared about her. So instead she opted to tell her father a little white lie.

"I had an early class the next day and I didn't want to have to worry about getting there, it's not a big deal."

Maggie gave her a grateful looks, and Beth gave her a look back that clearly meant '_you owe me'_.

"Beth, that's really not safe. Anything could have happened. I want you to think more carefully in the future, alright? Now, please continue your story."

Maggie snorted and Glenn wacked her arm lightly.

"I'm actually getting to that part of the story. So when I was sleeping in my car someone tried to, uh . . . steal it."

"With you in it?" Hershel said slowly.

Beth nodded. "With me in it."

"Beth, what happened? Why am I only hearing about this now?" Hershel said with concern.

"Daddy I'm okay," Beth promised. "I uh actually took the man out for coffee . . ." she said cautiously.

Hershel stared at her blankly. "Coffee?" he questioned.

"Coffee," Beth agreed.

He nodded thoughtfully. "And how did that go?"

Beth shrugged. "It went alright I guess. He wasn't dangerous or anything, like he didn't try to hurt me. He said he just needed a car to get him and his brother out of town."

"Why did they need to get out of town?" Hershel questioned, still oddly calm.

Beth paused. Daryl had told her the reason, but for some reason she felt like it was private, like if she told her father she'd be betraying him somehow. Then she recalled how he had screamed at her that morning, and really didn't care anymore.

"Someone is after his brother because they owe him money for drugs."

"Drugs," he said slowly.

"Drugs," Beth repeated.

He clasped his hands together and rested his chin on them.

"As far as I know Daryl doesn't do drugs," Beth said trying to make it sound a little better.

"Daryl? That's the boy's name?" Hershel asked.

"Oh yeah did I not mention that?"

"No you didn't," Hershel mused. "Is this the last time you saw, Daryl?"

Beth shook her head. "No I actually got him a job at Dale's shop. I drove him to work this morning."

"I see," he said calmly.

Beth glanced over at Maggie and Glenn again and found them watching the conversation between her and her father intently. Their expressions reminded her of how they looked while watching the documentary earlier on TV. She supposed it was similar. It was like her father was a predator biding his time before he pounced, and Beth was the unsuspecting prey that was about to get eaten.

"How about we talk about this on the porch? Glenn and Maggie can finish up their dinners and do the dishes, how does that sound?" Hershel said pushing his chair out and standing up.

Everyone just nodded. The air was too tense to give a verbal answer. Beth stood up slowly followed him outside.

They sat down together on the porch swing. Beth remembered swinging on it with her father when she was younger. She always felt like she was sitting on a white puffy cloud. Now it was more like a dark and stormy raincloud. She braced herself for the inevitable yelling.

"I'm just not sure what your reasons for doing this were Beth. I trust your judgment. You are an adult capable of making her own decisions, but what you did was reckless. I know you know better than that. I guess I'm just confused is all," he said after a few moments.

"I just . . . didn't get a bad vibe off him. I didn't want to ruin his life if it was just a one-time mistake. You know what I mean? I wanted to talk to him first."

"And what did you conclude from your talk?" he inquired.

Beth sighed. "He was just doing what he thought he needed to do to help his brother. He seemed like a decent person."

Hershel nodded. "You've always been a good judge of character, Beth. I trust your judgment but I'm your father so of course I'll always be worried about you. So if you intend to keep spending time with this young man I'm going to have to meet him and see for myself."

Beth smiled sadly. "I don't think that will be necessary. I probably won't be seeing him again."

"Why is that?" he said raising an eyebrow.

"We had a fight this morning."

Beth recounted the conversation she'd had with Maggie and the concerns she'd had about Daryl's past. Her father listened carefully as she told him about the fight and how Daryl had gotten so angry with her. When she was done he sat in silence while he considered what she had just told him.

"His reaction definitely means that he has something to hide right? Why else would he get so angry?" She wanted her father to confirm her suspicions and make the guilt she was feeling go away.

"I don't know if it's that simple," Hershel admitted. "That could have been the case or maybe he was just upset that you saw him that way."

"Well I didn't see him that way I was just confused . . . I'm just so confused, Daddy!" Beth threw her hands up in exasperation.

Instead of making her feel better Hershel's words had made her feel even guiltier.

"I probably should try and talk to him shouldn't I?" she said after a moment.

His expression remained neutral. "If that's what you think is the right thing to do."

Beth pursed her lips. That was her father. He would never tell you what to do exactly. He would just make vague comments so you had to make the decisions all on your own.

She spoke softly. "He probably won't even speak to me. He was pretty mad."  
"You never know. I'm confidant you can find a way to make it right. You're very persuasive when you want to be," he winked at her.

"Thanks Daddy," she smiled at him.

"Just promise me you'll be careful." He patted her knee.

"I will be," she promised.

"And if you do get this boy to forgive you I want to meet him. If he tries anything funny, let him know I have a shotgun and I'm licensed to use it," he said seriously.

Beth laughed. "Okay Daddy."

Beth was glad her father hadn't yelled at her. He'd treated her like an adult, which was all she wanted. She felt good. Hershel placed an arm around her shoulder and she leaned into him. They sat back on the swing and stared up at the stars in silence. Beth smiled, finally knowing what she had to do.

XXX

It had taken Daryl the entire bottle of whiskey and half of another to realize he wasn't angry with Beth. He was angry with himself for letting her affect him so much. He was angry with himself for having feelings for her. There he admitted it. He had feelings for her.

He knew that they hadn't known each other for long. He knew it was wrong. He knew it would never work out. None of that could stop it though. He had read somewhere once that it only took four minutes after meeting someone to decide whether or not you had feelings for them, and he felt like that applied here. He had feelings for Beth Greene. It had just taken him a little while to catch up. This was all new for him. He'd never felt this way about anyone before. He just met this girl, but he felt like he'd known her forever.

He didn't like it. The mass of conflicting emotions swirling inside him at the moment were making him feel like a little bitch. On the one hand, he was pissed at Beth for thinking so lowly of him, but on the other he knew he was just mad at himself for caring so much what she thought. He'd never given two shits what anyone had thought about him before, and the sudden change of pace was throwing him for a loop. He didn't know how to deal with any of it. So he did the one thing he could do; he got drunk.

He was roused from his half asleep state when someone raped on the front door. He squinted at it, wondering who the hell could possibly be there seeing as not many people knew where they were staying. He knew it wasn't Merle, he wouldn't bother knocking. He glanced up at the clock on the wall and found that it was nearly midnight. Who the hell would be coming around at this hour? The person knocked again more forcefully.

"Alrigh' I'm comin'! Calm the hell down!" he called.

He heaved himself off the couch and stumbled to the door, still feeling the effects of the alcohol pumping through his system. He yanked the door open with the hand that wasn't still clutching his whiskey bottle, and found himself face to face with probably the last person he wanted to see at the moment.

Beth smiled at him weakly, her fist raised like she was about to knock again.

"Before you slam the door in my face, please just hear me out!" she pleaded.

Daryl stared at her with his mouth hanging slightly open; suddenly all too aware that he'd answered the door in only a pair of boxers.

**AN: So I realize I left that last chapter in a bad place, and I felt kinda bad about it. Therefore, I decided to be nice and put this out earlier than I intended! Yay! Anyway, so here is chapter six. I literally cannot say thank you enough to everyone leaving comments/reviews/kudos/follows/ect you all make my days better and make me want to post more frequently haha. Hope this chapter made you feel a liiiitle better, as I realize it's a cliffhanger, but a promising cliffhanger! **  
**Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

Daryl quickly shut the door halfway so that only his face was showing, effectively hiding his mostly naked body. It was too late though, Beth had seen. She blushed scarlet, and Daryl could feel his own blush creeping up his neck.

"What the hell do you want?" he said gruffly, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"I'm sorry to bother you," she squeaked. "I just wanted to talk . . ."

"Talk about what?" Daryl glared at her.

"I wanted to apologize. Can I come in?" Beth said looking up at him with those big blue eyes.

He wanted to say no, he really did, but when he looked into those damn eyes he couldn't resist. It didn't help that his inhibitions were already down thanks to the alcohol coursing through his system.

"Fine," he grunted, "just gimme a second."

He moved away from the door, leaving it ajar. He bent down and picked up his discarded jeans, doing his best to put them on while still holding onto his whiskey bottle like it was a lifeline. He stumbled trying to get his leg through the hole. Beth stuck her head in when she heard him banging around as he did his best to stay upright.

"You okay?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yeah," Daryl growled and waved her off as he successfully managed to pull the jeans up over his hips.

She stood halfway in the doorway watching him with a mix of concern and fascination. He plucked his shirt up off the ground and slipped it on; careful to keep his scarred back turned away from her. He trudged back over to the couch and plopped down.

"You gonna come in or you just gonna stand there like a creep?" he barked at her.

She quickly moved into the living and closed the door behind her. She walked over to the couch and tentatively took a seat beside him. When he didn't object, she let herself get more comfortable. She leaned back into the cushions. Their arms were only a few inches apart and he could practically feel their close proximity causing heat to radiate through his entire body. He felt almost a magnetic pull between their bodies and wanted to move over and close the distance, but he didn't. He kept himself firmly planted in his seat with what he hoped was an impassive expression on his face. He didn't want her to know how much she was affecting him.

"Well?" he prompted. "Why are you here, Beth?"

She fidgeted in her seat. "I wanted to apologize."

"Is that so," he mumbled. "And why would you want to do that?"

"I shouldn't have asked about your past. I don't think you're some no good criminal . . . I just got scared."

She looked down at her hands as she spoke and twisted the ring she wore around her finger, emphasizing her discomfort.

Daryl mulled that over for a few moments. He searched her face, finding that her expression and deliverance of the words seemed sincere. She didn't think he was criminal scum. She was just scared like any rational human being should be in her situation. Hadn't he himself even thought that she was crazy when she didn't call the cops on him? Her wariness about him proved she wasn't. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his chest. He still hated that she had been causing him such distress though; and he also hated the rush of relief he was feeling now.

"I guess I understand," he said finally, rubbing the back of his neck. And he did.

Beth sat up and looked at him. "What? Seriously?"

Daryl nodded. "Maybe it's just 'cause I'm drunk, but I thought about it and I understand why you might be a little wary of hangin' around me considerin' how we met."

"I never meant to offend you," Beth said earnestly. "Can we just forget about it?"

She looked at him, her eyes pleading.

Daryl shrugged. "Already forgotten."

Once she'd shown up at his door, Daryl knew that there was no way he could stay mad at her. Now she'd even apologized, and he could tell by the look of relief on her face now that she'd really meant it.

She reached over and clasped his knee. He felt like he was about to explode. His breath hitched in his throat as he struggled to keep his composure.

"Thank you," she said and smiled.

She removed her hand and leaned back into the couch and stared up at the ceiling.

"I could barely even concentrate all day. I felt so guilty," she sighed.

"I had trouble keepin' my mind straight too," he admitted. That gained a smile from Beth. He felt his stomach flip. "You want a drink or somethin'? I think I got soda or water if you want," he said changing the subject.

"No that's alright," Beth said, "but I will take some of that." She gestured to the bottle of whiskey in his hand.

He looked down at the bottle then back up at her with a small smirk on his lips.

"How old are you even? Nineteen?"

She glared at him. "I'm twenty-one, thank you very much," she said and snatched the bottle from his hand. She took a sip while staring at him defiantly.

"Well excuse me," he said with a laugh.

Twenty-one, huh? That made him feel a whole lot better about his feelings toward her. He still had a few years on her, but at least she was of drinking age. It made him feel like less of a dirty old man.

"How old are you?" she asked, kicking off her shoes and curling up on the couch next to him. Her toes brushed his thigh as she got settled, causing his leg to tingle.

"You know it's impolite to ask people's ages," he scolded playfully.

"I think that's only for middle aged women," she pointed out.

He sighed. "Alrigh' you got me. I'll be thirty-five in a couple months."

"So, you're thirty-four."

"Yeah, I'm thirty-four," he agreed.

"Could have just said that," she mumbled taking another sip of the amber liquid.

He grabbed the bottle back and took his own sip. "Don' sass me girl."

"Sorry Mr. Dixon," she said in mock seriousness.

"Yeah, yeah, you best watch yourself," he warned pointing at her with the bottle.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots," she said sarcastically.

They stared each other down for a long moment, before Daryl broke his gaze.

"Yeah, bet you are," he mumbled.

They sat in silence for a while and just passed the bottle back and forth. Soon it was empty. Daryl held it in his hand and thumbed the lip.

"That was my first time," he said quietly.

Beth looked over at him. He noticed that her eyes had glazed over slightly, meaning that she too was feeling the effects of the alcohol.

"What?" she asked.

"My first time doing anything really illegal," he clarified. "Stealing your car was my first time."

"Oh," she said and nodded thoughtfully. "Thank you for telling me. You didn't have to."

He shrugged. "I wanted to."

She placed a hand on his thigh, but this time she didn't just pull it away after a comforting pat. She left it there. He stared down at it like it was going to burn a hole through the thin layer of denim separating their skin. She didn't seem to notice his discomfort. He sat completely still for a few moments, letting himself getting accustomed to the weight of her hand on his thigh. She wasn't moving it or anything, it was just resting there. It felt nice. He rested his head on the back of the couch, and closed his eyes.

"Huh," she said after a while.

Daryl opened his eyes. She was staring at the clock on the wall.

"What?" he asked.

"It's three in the morning," she said casually.

"Yeah?" he said. He checked, and it was indeed three in the morning. "Would you look at that."

"I'm drunk," she said.

"Yes, you are," he agreed.

"I can't drive like this."

"You can stay here if you want. You can take the bed," he offered.

"Yeah? Thanks," she said with a yawn.

She didn't move to get up though. She rested her head on the arm of the couch and closed her eyes. A moment later she was out like a light and breathing softly. Daryl smiled at her softly, and then he too closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

**AN: So, originally I intended for this chapter to be longer. I had this part finished and had started writing the next part, but honestly I just don't have the time or energy to finish it right now. I figured this could stand on its own as it is, and it'd tie up the cliffhanger from the last chapter. The end of the semester is really kicking my ass in terms of work load, I'm sure you all know how it goes. I'm not really sure when the next chapter will be out. Whenever I get time to write I guess, but I don't see the wait being toooo long.**  
**A huge thank you again to the wonderful response I've received from all of you. It really has been brightening my days reading your comments. Thanks for bearing with me, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

When Daryl woke up he was vaguely aware of a weight pressing against his lap and his hand resting on something warm. He was only half conscious, and almost decided to just ignore whatever it was and go back to sleep. But then he remembered Beth.

Beth was there.

He was wide awake then, and his eyes flew open. He was still sitting up, and somehow during the night Beth had shifted was lying straight across the small couch with her legs resting in his lap. The warmth Daryl felt on his palm was the skin of Beth's bare stomach. She had an arm thrown over her eyes like she was trying to block any intruding light.

Daryl knew that he should probably move and wake her up, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He knew that this would probably be the only opportunity he'd have to ever be with Beth like this and he wanted to enjoy it, remember it. He gazed down at her and took in the way the sunlight was filtering in through the window and illuminating her golden hair, which was sticking out at all different angles around her head. He memorized the sound of her slow, quiet breaths, and the way her stomach fell and rose gently under his palm. She was so beautiful. It almost made him angry to look at her like this, because he knew he could never have her. Daryl was coveting something he knew could never be his. He couldn't bring himself to surrender to the anger gnawing at the back of his mind though. The fact that Beth was even spending time with him was amazing to Daryl, and he would take anything he could get.

It registered in the back of his mind that what he was doing might be considered creepy to any onlookers. Therefore, he decided that he was lucky that there was no one else there but him. But then he heard Merle's voice, and he knew he spoke too soon.

"Good, you're awake."

Daryl looked up and found Merle standing over him with a big shit-eating grin on his face. Daryl groaned. Of course his brother would just sit back and watch him as he probably stared a Beth would big goddamned hearts in his eyes. He'd probably found it really amusing too. Despite his current embarrassment, Daryl didn't move from his position. He was too content sitting this way with Beth to let Merle ruin it just yet. Soon she would wake up and he'd try to forget any of this had ever happened. It would make it easier when he had to be around her to not be thinking about how good it felt to have her pressed against him.

"The fuck you starin' at?" Daryl barked, using his free hand to rub at his eyes.

"You two seem cozy," Merle smirked.

Daryl glared up at his brother. "Yeah, and? What's it to you?"

"Nothin'," he said with a wicked gleam in his eye, "you just look happy is all. Been awhile."

Daryl grimaced. He was about to tell his brother to go fuck himself, when he felt Beth move. She took the arm off her face, and looked around. Daryl quickly removed his hand from her exposed stomach and held his breath as he watched her take in their current position. He expected her to freak out and jerk away from him, but she didn't. She looked over their touching bodies with mild curiosity in her eyes, before swinging her legs off his lap and sitting up beside him. Now they were sitting with just their thighs pressed together.

"'Morning," Beth mumbled to Daryl, as she got her bearings. She peered up at his brother, and looked him over. "So, you must be Merle Dixon," she said with a slight fascination.

"The one and only," he said proudly. "I take it you're car girl?"

Beth raised an eyebrow at Daryl, and then turned back to Merle. "My friends call me Beth," she said coolly. She extended a hand out to him. "Nice to finally meet you."

Merle peered down at her hand curiously, before taking it and giving it a firm shake. Beth smiled sleepily at him. He stared at her like she was a puzzle he was trying to figure out.

Daryl watched the exchange in surprise. He wondered why the hell she was being so polite to Merle. He sure as hell didn't deserve it, and Daryl could tell it had taken Merle by surprise as well. Beth knew who his brother was and yet she was still treating him as an equal, and seemed genuinely glad to meet him. She was so damn good natured that Daryl wanted to scream. Why had the fates put her into his life? He didn't deserve someone as good as her to even be in the same room as him.

"How come I wasn't invited to the sleepover?" Merle said in a mock offense, more or less recovered from his initial confusion.

"Wasn't a sleepover," Daryl grunted.

"We got drunk and fell asleep on the couch," Beth clarified. Then she eyed him playfully. "If anything I'd say it looks like you had a lot more fun than we did."

Daryl took in his brother's appearance. He was bleary eyed and his clothes were disheveled. He'd probably just gotten home and had been waiting around for Daryl to wake up before going to bed himself so he could give him shit. Wouldn't have been the first time either.

Merle smirked at Beth. "You'd probably be right. See I met this chick and—"

"Okay, that's enough," Daryl said cutting him off. "Beth doesn't wanna hear about that. Neither do I if we're bein' honest."

Beth looked at Merle and shrugged.

"You heard the boss," she said simply.

She got up off the couch and stretched her arms in the air. Daryl was able to see a flash of her bare stomach, the skin he had just been touching a few moments before.

"You boys got any food in this place? I'm starved," she said looking around.

"Nope," Daryl replied. "We don' really keep food in the house, just alcohol."

Beth grinned down at him. "Just the essentials," she said with a laugh.

Daryl smiled at her. "Of course."

She scratched her head. "Well we could go to the diner I guess. You probably want to eat before you go to work."

Daryl nodded. "I could eat."

"Okay cool," Beth said. "Want to join us, Merle?" she called to his brother who had disappeared behind a wall and into the small kitchen area.

He reappeared holding a can of beer, with a strange look on his face again. "Nah, that's alright, Sweetheart. Ole Merle's gonna be headin' to bed. I need my beauty rest you know."

"Alright, maybe next time." She turned to Daryl. "Where's the bathroom in this place? I should probably freshen up before I go out in public. I bet I look like a mess," she said with an easy smile.

Daryl thought she looked perfect just the way she was, even if her hair was sticking up at funny angles and her makeup from the day before was smudged under her eyes. Nevertheless, he pointed her in the direction of the tiny bathroom, and she disappeared into it.

Daryl looked over at Merle who was staring at him with a peculiar look on his face.

"What," he grunted.

"She really is somethin', huh?" he said with a grin. "Try not to fuck this up baby brother."

"Nothin' to fuck up," Daryl replied curtly.

"Yeah, whatever you say. She's too good for your ass anyways," he said with a chuckle.

"Don' I know it," Daryl replied.

"Wish I could land a piece of tail like her," he said staring at the door of the bathroom. "Bit younger than your usual though, ain't she baby brother?" Merle looked at him with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

Daryl set his jaw. Even if they weren't actually sleeping together, the fact that he'd commented on Beth's age didn't make Daryl feel any better about the feelings he was currently combating. Merle wasn't usually one to care about age. As long as he was getting laid he didn't really care who was on the receiving side. That's always what it was with Merle. All he wanted from women was sex. He was a simple minded piece of shit.

Although, at least he'd been nice to Beth when he spoke to her, which was surprising to Daryl. He himself may not have been the friendliest person, but Merle was an asshole. While Daryl would just not engage in pleasantries or conversation at all, Merle would talk to you and make you wish he hadn't. So, in reality he was lucky he hadn't been that way with Beth. If he had Daryl would probably have punched him.

"Listen," Merle said before Daryl could reply, suddenly looking serious. "I was able to set up a meeting with Martinez. It's tomorrow night."

Daryl tensed and nodded. Merle's comment about Beth was forgotten for the moment.

"Do you want me to go with you?" he asked.

He might not have approved of his brother's activities, but if he was heading into danger Daryl would be right there beside him. It was them against the world. It had always been that way.

"Nah," Merle shook his head. "Go hang out with Blondie. I'll be fine." He winked at Daryl.

"You sure?" Daryl said frowning. He wasn't sure if he believed him.

"Yeah," he said with a crooked grin, "I'm invincible baby brother. Even if they tried, they couldn't touch me."

Daryl wanted to reply to that, and tell him that _no he wasn't_, and beg him to please be safe because he was the only family he had, the only person that really gave a shit about him, but Beth exited the bathroom and the conversation was over. Merle said to goodbye to her, and disappeared behind his bedroom door. Daryl stared after him, feeling a knot twisting in his stomach.

Beth appeared next to him. She had washed the makeup off and pulled her hair up and away from her face. She still looked beautiful to him.

"Ready to go?" she asked jingling her keys at him.

Daryl managed to smile at her. "Yeah," he said, "let's get out of here."

XXX

They made their way out to Beth's car which was parked on the street. She recalled sitting in it last night for nearly fifteen minutes trying to work up the courage to go knock on the door. She had been fretting about whether or not Daryl would even agree to talk to her. Finally she'd managed to muster up her courage and she practically ran to the door and knocked swiftly before she could lose her nerve. She was practically dying then, but now she was happy she was able to make herself talk to Daryl. She felt much better now that they were on good terms again.

Beth climbed into the driver's seat and slid the key into the ignition. She let out a large yawn and laid her head down on the wheel. She was exhausted. She and Daryl hadn't fallen asleep until early that morning, and now here they were up for the day at seven thirty.

She had been surprised how comfortable she'd felt waking up basically lying on top of him that morning. He'd even had his had touching he bare stomach. She'd expected to feel awkward or embarrassed, but it all felt normal. She didn't know why that was. It wasn't like they'd known each other very long for it to warrant her being so comfortable around him, yet here they were.

She hadn't even been nervous when she met Merle. In any other circumstance meeting an alcoholic junkie who was on the run from his dealer would have terrified Beth. She should have been nervous, but with Daryl there she felt safe. After meeting Merle, she had to admit he wasn't as bad as she thought he'd be. Yeah he was a bit rough and vulgar, but nothing she couldn't handle. Under all of it she could tell how much he cared about Daryl, even with all that teasing. She already knew how much Daryl cared about his brother. It was the reason they'd come to meet in the first place.

She peered over at Daryl, who was staring out the windshield with his brow furrowed. He looked troubled about something, and Beth had to assume it had to do with whatever he and Merle had just talked about. It took nearly all of her self-control, but she wasn't going to pry it out of him. No matter how much she wanted to know. If he wanted to tell her about it he would.

She lifted her hand to her mouth to stifle another yawn. She looked at Daryl again and decided he looked more awake than she did. He barely even looked tired at all. Bastard.

"Do you wanna drive?" she asked him.

He looked over at her and squinted.

"What? It's not like you haven't driven my car before," she joked. He bowed his head in embarrassment. "You even have my permission this time! Please, I'm basically useless before I've had my caffeine. I don't think I'm legally allowed to be operating a vehicle in this state."

She looked at him with her best puppy dog eyes and batted her eyelashes.

"Fine," he said rolling his eyes.

He hopped out of the car and walked around to the driver's side, while Beth climbed over the seats and settled into the passenger side.

"You are a true saint, Daryl Dixon." She smiled at him gratefully, as he got into her abandoned seat.

He snorted at her as he adjusted the mirrors. "More like a demon if you ask me."

"Oh stop!" Beth scolded. "You are nothing like a demon."

Daryl shook his head like he was trying to disagree, but Beth saw a small smile tracing his lips. She did her best to hide her own smile as he pulled away and headed towards town. She settled into her seat and stared out the window at the passing scenery. It was mostly a wooded area where Daryl lived. It was dense with large pines and other various trees. Daryl's tiny cabin was the only structure for a few miles. That was probably because it was an abandoned hunting cabin though. She didn't expect it'd still be standing if a lot of people knew about it. Beth could see why Daryl liked living where he did. It was private, like him.

Beth had always loved the woods. She always felt the most calm when she could be alone with the trees and her thoughts. There was a forest at the edge of her father's property, but she had rarely even been allowed to enter it and especially not alone. She used to go in with Shawn and go to this favorite fishing hole. They'd spent countess summer afternoons there fishing, swimming, and just being together. Sometimes Maggie would join them, but it was never really her thing. That was back before Shawn had passed away. Beth hadn't ventured back into the woods since. It wasn't the same without him. The trees broke up as they got into town and were replaced by buildings. Beth felt a wave of sadness rush over her and she remembered her brother. He'd been hit and killed by a drunk driver when he was driving home from a late shift at his job at the local supermarket. Beth had been fifteen.

They had stopped at a red light and Beth could feel Daryl's eyes on her. She looked over at him.

"You okay?" he asked with concern in his voice.

Beth nodded weakly. "I was just thinking about my brother Shawn. He died when I was still in high school."

"I'm sorry," Daryl said. The light changed and he had to look away from her and back at the road.

"It's okay," Beth said sadly. "I just miss him is all."

Daryl nodded. "I'm sure."

He said it with understanding, not pity. Beth was thankful for that. When she talked about Shawn with anyone they always looked at her with sad eyes, like they wanted to say something supportive but didn't know what. She was so sick of that. It had been six years and she'd come to terms with his death. She didn't need anyone's pity. She knew that was something Daryl understood. She knew from experience how Daryl reacted when it came to pity. She recalled him getting angry with her in the diner the first night they'd met when he thought she was pitying him.

"So, Merle was something," she said changing the subject.

Daryl frowned. "You were nice to him."

"Well how would you want me to be?" Beth inquired pursing her lips. Was he upset that she'd been nice to his brother?

"There ain't nothin' wrong with it, just unexpected is all. You know what he is. What he does." He did his best to make it sound casual.

"He's your brother, Daryl. Of course I'm going to be nice to him. The things that he does don't define him. Yes, they're a part of who he is, but it isn't the whole picture. If I had judged you solely by one decision when we first met we wouldn't be having this conversation," Beth pointed out simply.

Daryl thought on that a moment, then nodded. "Okay," he said quietly.

Beth smiled at him. He put the blinker on as he turned into the diner parking lot. It was filled with cars from the morning rush. He parked and then they headed into the diner. There booth was vacant, and they made their way over to it. They sat down and as they waited for their waitress Beth fished through her purse and pulled out her phone. She unlocked it and found ten missed calls and fifteen unread messages from Maggie waiting for her. Shit.

The elderly waitress shuffled over to their table to take their order. Daryl ordered a black coffee and some eggs, and then looked over to Beth. She was typing an apology message to Maggie, unaware of them waiting on her. She looked up just as Daryl was ordering her a coffee and pancakes like she'd had the other morning. She smiled at him gratefully, and then went back to her message.

_So sorry! Feel asleep on Daryl's couch and didn't check my phone! I'm alive please don't be mad!_ She hit send. She had a reply within seconds.

_What the hell Beth. I was worried sick!_ Maggie replied.

Beth sighed. She felt guilty for making her sister worried, but she was annoyed that she felt she had to check in with her at all. She was twenty one. She was an adult. Maggie didn't feel obligated to let Beth know her whereabouts twenty-four seven. It wasn't fair.

_Sorry. We'll talk about it later._ Beth replied and slipped her phone back into her bag.

She looked up at Daryl, who was watching her. She smiled at him weakly.

"Damage control," she said with a shrug. "Maggie was worried about me."

Daryl nodded. "She does that a lot," he noted.

"She still thinks of me as a child," Beth said.

"But you're twenty-one," he pointed out.

"No one treats me like I am though. My Daddy does kind of, but I'm still his little girl so he's more protective over me than he is Maggie." Beth sighed.

"Ain't nobody treated me like a kid since I was 'bout ten," Daryl said thoughtfully.

Beth looked up at him, surprised by his honesty.

"Really?" she asked.

He nodded. "Mhm. That's when my mama died. After that it was just me and my pa, Merle too when he wasn't behind bars or out wanderin' somewhere. They ain't never treated me like no kid."

Beth felt a wave of sadness wash over her. They had had very different lives. She felt awful thinking of a young Daryl being forced to face the harsh realities of the world so early. She didn't want him to think she pitied him though. She knew he wouldn't like that. She could kind of relate though. She'd lost her mother when she was young too, except she had been forced to grow up because of it.

"I'm sorry about your mother," she said sincerely.

"Me too. She was a damn good lady. I miss her."

"I miss my mama too," Beth said, looking into his eyes.

They held each other's gaze for a long moment, locked in another one of the staring contests they'd kept having since meeting. For some reason they amused Beth greatly, and she'd always hold Daryl's eyes until he finally got uncomfortable. She liked watching him flush red slightly. It was endearing to see such an intimidating, rough man get flustered. It made him seem more human. She'd never admit it to him, but each time she'd outlast him, she'd count it as a small victory and lock it away for her own entertainment.

The waitress shuffled over with their orders and placed them down in front of them.

"Thanks Marcie," Beth said gratefully.

Marcie smiled at her. "Of course, honey. You say hi to your daddy for me, and let him know Muffins is doing just fine on that new medication he gave me."

Muffins was Marcie's cat that she had recently brought in to Hershel's veterinary clinic to be treated for worms.

"Will do," Beth promised.

"You and your boyfriend enjoy your meal," she said with a wink. She was already moving on to her next table before Beth could correct her.

Beth looked up at Daryl who was looking down at his place like it was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen. She could see that his jaw was clenched. She didn't get the opportunity to question him before the diner door chimed, signaling that someone had entered. She looked up and caught Sheriff Grime's gaze. He lifted a hand to wave and made his way over to their table.

"'Morning Beth," he said with a smile. He looked over to Daryl and his smile wavered a bit. "Dixon, right?" he questioned.

Daryl lifted his eyes form his plate and looked at Rick.

"Daryl," he answered.

Rick held a hand out for him to shake. "'Morning Daryl," he said.

Daryl clasped his hand in a firm shake.

"How are you today sheriff?" Beth asked brightly.

"I'll be a lot better if you agree to babysit tonight. I saw your car in the parking lot, that's why I came in. I was just heading down to the station. Please say you aren't busy tonight." His eyes were pleading.

She glanced over at Daryl, but his eyes had returned to his plate. Beth frowned slightly. She wasn't sure why she'd looked at him. Maybe she was hoping that he'd want to hang out with her tonight.

She put a smile back on and looked back at Rick. "I'm free. What time you want me there?"

Rick sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Lori planned a date night with Shane and Andrea, and our sitter dropped out this morning. I was going to get in touch with you later, but I saw your car and figured I'd just get it done now. How does around seven until about midnight sound?"

"Sounds great," she said.

"You're a life saver!"

"Don't even mention it," she said with a laugh. "You know I love Judith and Carl."

"And they love you," Rick agreed. "I'll see you tonight Beth, thanks! Goodbye Daryl." He turned on his heel and was gone as fast as he came. Daryl mumbled a farewell as he left.

"So, babysitting the sheriff's kids," Daryl said. "Do that a lot?"

Beth nodded. "I used to a lot more before I started school. I was like his daughter Judith's nanny around the time she was born. Lori was still working as a teacher then. She's not doing that anymore, thought it best to stay home with the kids."

"They young?"

"Carl's about fourteen. Judith is four," she explained.

Daryl snorted, "Fourteen? Ain't that a bit old for a babysitter? I been watching myself since I was 'bout seven."

Beth felt a pang of sadness again for Daryl's lost childhood. She didn't let it show.

"Well Carl's sort of a wild child. I think they're afraid he'll try to get into Rick's guns again.  
She made a face.

"Again?" he asked intrigued.

Beth nodded gravely. "About two years ago Lori left him alone inside while she was out doing yard work and she came back in and found him playing with it. He'd gotten into the safe. She nearly had a heart attack. They had a talk with him and I think he knows better now, but they're still worried." Beth shrugged. "He just wants to be like his dad."

Daryl nodded. "Why wouldn't he? If my dad was anything like that guy I probably wouldn't be so messed up."

Beth made a face at his self-deprecating humor. "Oh stop," she scolded.

Daryl's lips pulled into a small smile. "Eat your breakfast girl we can't hang around all day. Some of us have jobs to get to."

She made a face. "Um excuse me but who got you that job? Maybe some gratitude would be nice."

"Yeah, yeah," he teased.

"And I got class so don't even act like you're the only one with things to do! How about you eat your breakfast!"

He grinned and then took a big bite of his meal. "Happy?" he asked with his mouth full.

"Besides your horrendous lack of table manners, yes." She teased as she took her own bite.

"Sorry darlin' what cha see is what cha get," he smiled again.

She smiled back, but wickedly. "Well I guess it isn't_ all_ bad."

She said it partly to see him blush, but mostly because it was true. He really wasn't bad. He was handsome despite his rough exterior, and although he may have tried to put on a show Beth could tell he had a very good heart. The more she stared at him, the more she noticed him. He had lines around his eyes from them being perpetually hardened from all he'd seen. She could still see some light in his eyes though. Like even after all the horrors of his past he was still able to see some good left in the world. He had a scruffy beard and shaggy hair, and for some reason she just wanted to reach her hand out and run her fingers through his hair. While she was studying him she did her best to ignore her heart begin to quicken its pace. What was going on with her? Daryl looked up and caught her staring.

"What?" he said and narrowed his eyes.

"Nothing," Beth said quickly and looked down at her plate, thankful that he couldn't hear her heart pounding against her rib cage. _Shit._

**AN: Hello! I hope you all are enjoying the story so far. I've really appreciated all of your comments/kudos/reviews. Keep 'em coming! They really do make my day. I've got two weeks of classes left and then finals weeks, and I'm free! lol I cannot wait for it to be summer. Then I'll have plenty more time to write and finish this story! I actually already have another AU idea in the works for when this one it done, and I have to admit it's kind of wacky. That being said I know this idea was also a bit out of the ordinary so...haha. We'll see where it goes. Anyway, thank you all again and see you next time!**


	9. Chapter 9

After her caffeine boost Beth felt much more alert. The pair finished their breakfast, and Beth drove Daryl to work. She said goodbye to him, and promised she'd be back later to pick him up. He gave her a heart-stopping smile before shutting the car door and sauntering away. Beth couldn't help but stare as he went. How had she not noticed how good looking he was before? It had been staring her right in the face.

As she headed toward school she waged an internal war with herself. Was she attracted to him? She must have been since she couldn't get his goddamn perfect smile out of her mind. That question was easy to answer, however her next one was not. Was it just merely a physical attraction or were there some underlying feelings there too? That was what she had to figure out.

She could barely even concentrate in any of her classes. Now it was two days this week that Beth hadn't been able to focus on school because she was too busy thinking about Daryl. Her grades were really going to take a hit because of him if she didn't sort herself out. That wouldn't go over well seeing as she was set to graduate in the spring. She couldn't afford to have any distractions after she'd worked so hard the last four years to get where she was now.

She had been called on not once, but twice by her professors to answer a question and she had to admit to them that she hadn't been paying attention and wasn't even sure what they were talking about. She'd been mortified. This wasn't her. She wasn't someone who zoned out during class. She was the girl taking notes diligently and asking questions. What the hell was happening to her?

She was heading back out to the parking lot thinking about how she couldn't wait to go home for a nap and a shower and to try and take her mind off of all of this before having to pick up Daryl from work and face him, which is why she didn't notice her best friend Sasha slide up behind her.

"Hey girl," Sasha said leaning in close to her ear, making Beth jump.

She whipped around to face her friend who was laughing. "Sorry couldn't resist. You just looked so zoned out." She grinned broadly at Beth.

Beth made a face. "Hardy har har. Although, I bet it wouldn't have been so funny if I died from a heart attack right here at your feet, now would it?"

Sasha rolled her eyes. "Where you been this week? I haven't seen you around," she said cocking her head.

Beth shrugged. "I've been busy," she said giving not further explanation.

Sasha didn't need to know about Daryl just yet. Not because she'd give Beth a hard time about him like Maggie, but because she'd probably pester her on when she was going to sleep with him. Sasha had adamant about getting Beth a new guy ever since she and Zach had broken up. She didn't like that Beth had been single for so long. She had tried to set her up with a few different guys, but Beth just hadn't really been interested. She was content being alone. It gave her more time to focus on herself. If Sasha knew about Daryl she'd be pestering Beth constantly on when she was going to get together with him, and Beth didn't know if she could handle that sort of talk with her feelings toward him being unprocessed and muddled as they were currently.

Sasha frowned at her. "You work too hard."

"Girls gotta do what a girls gotta do," she replied, thumbing the strap of her bag uncomfortably.

It wasn't a complete lie. She had been busy, just not with school like Sasha thought. Either way Beth didn't feel right misleading her.

"Everything okay with you?" she asked examining Beth's face.

"Mhm," Beth lied.

Sasha squinted at her like she didn't quite believe her, but didn't push the issue.

"What are you doing tonight? We all going to the bar, you should come." she suggested, referring to their small group of friends.

Beth smiled sheepishly. "I'd love to but I'm babysitting Rick and Lori's kids tonight."

Sasha glared at her. "Beth, c'mon seriously! Don't you ever do anything for yourself?" she scolded.

"I'm getting money for myself," Beth pointed out.

Sasha waved her hand dismissively. "That's not what I mean."

Beth sighed. "I wish I could come, I miss you guys. Next time?"

"Next time," Sasha agreed. "But if you aren't too tired when you get done you should meet us."

"Yeah alright," Beth said unconvincingly. She didn't see that happening.

Sasha sighed dramatically and clasped Beth's shoulders. "You kill me Beth Greene. How we're even friends is a mystery to me."

Beth grinned at her. "It's my charm."

She laughed, pulling her hands away. "That must be it. Catch you on the flip side, Greene," she said and skipped away.

Beth shook her as at her as she went. Sasha was the most energetic person Beth had ever met. She often found herself struggling to keep up with her. She was always skipping around excitedly doing this or that. It was exhausting even being in her presence. She loved her though. They'd been best friends since junior high, so Beth was used to her excessive energy. It was just a little overwhelming sometimes.

Beth finished making her way to her car and headed home. She couldn't wait to get back to her apartment and fall into bed. Daryl's couch hadn't exactly been the most comfortable spot to sleep, and her caffeine boost from the morning was wearing off. At this point she could barely keep her eyes open. She pulled up in front of her apartment after a few moments and headed inside and started her ascent up the steep steps. It was times like these that she hated living on the fifth floor in a building with an elevator that was perpetually broken.

She trudged up the last flight of stairs and made it to her door. She fished her keys out of her pocket and slid them into the lock. The door was actually locked for once, and that was only because Maggie had been the last one here since Beth had spent the night at Daryl's. She was lucky they lived in a nice neighborhood. She really had to get better about locking things. Just for good measure she locked the door behind herself when she walked in and smiled triumphantly. Then she suddenly remembered that she hadn't locked her car and groaned in frustration. _Oh well_, she thought, _can't win every time_.

One glance at the clock told her she had about three hours until she had to get Daryl, which meant she had about two for a nap. Thank god. She dropped her bag, keys, and jacket on the way to her room, leaving a trail of her belongings behind her. She plopped face down on the bed and was out like a light before she even took her shoes off.

XXX

She woke up two hours later feeling refreshed. She hopped up and got into the shower. After a quick rinse she got out and got ready, and then she was out the door and on her way to pick up Daryl.

She pulled into the parking lot of the auto repair shop and could see Dale and Daryl standing just inside the garage talking. Her heart leapt up into her throat at the sight of him and she could feel her pulse start to quicken. Daryl looked over when she pulled up, and held up a finger to signal he'd be right there. She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself. Even if she did have feelings for him that didn't mean she had to act like a bumbling idiot. _It's not like he'd feel the same way about you_, she reminded herself, _he probably just sees you as some kid_. She felt a pang of sadness in her chest, but it was quickly replaced by relief. She wasn't even sure what she would do if he did feel the same, and she never would. She could live with that. A moment later he was sliding into the car besides her. Dale waved from inside the garage, and Beth waved back as she put the car in drive.

"Hey," she said giving him a small smile.

"Hey, how was class?" he asked looking her over. He furrowed his brow at what he saw in her expression, and then added, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am now," she answered honestly.

"Wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"No, not really," she laughed easily. "It doesn't matter, really."

He nodded in understanding. "Okay."

Beth smiled appreciatively. If it had been anyone else they would have pressed her until she was forced to break down and tell them what was bothering her, but it wasn't anyone. It was Daryl. She felt any leftover uneasiness she was feeling evaporate.

"How was work?" she asked.

He grinned. "Really good actually. Some of the parts for the truck came in, so I'm gonna come in this weekend and start workin' on it."

"Eager to get away from me I see," she joked.

Daryl rolled his eyes. "You know that's not it. I just wanna be able to do stuff for myself is all. It's been a while since I've been able to be independent. I dunno it's stupid" He shrugged self-consciously.

Beth placed a hand on his knee comfortingly. "It's not stupid."

He didn't reply, but she could see his mouth tug up in the corner as she took her hand away.

She didn't bother putting the signal on as she pulled up in front of the cabin. There was no one around.

"So, any big plans tonight?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Probably go out with Merle. Bar maybe, I dunno."

"Oh," Beth said with a frown.

She didn't like the idea of him going out drinking with Merle. From what she had already seen from Merle, he was into scamming on women and getting laid. Her stomach rolled when she thought of some trashy woman hanging all over Daryl. She pushed the image away abruptly.

"Sounds like fun," she added unconvincingly.

"Naw," he said. "Just nothin' else to do."

She smiled slightly, and glanced to the clock on the dashboard. She only had about twenty minutes until she had to be at the Grimes', and the amount of time it took to get back into town after leaving Daryl's meant she would have to leave now unless she wanted to be late. Daryl followed her gaze and saw where she was looking.

"Gotta go?" he asked.

Beth nodded. "Yeah."

"Okay," Daryl said and opened the car door. "Thanks again for the ride."

"Don't worry about it. Have fun tonight with Merle."

He made a face. "I'll do my best."

She laughed. "That's all you can do."

Daryl got out and shut the door behind him, bending down slightly so he could still see her through the open window.

"Have a good time babysittin'. Hope that kid don' try and get into his daddy's gun again."

Beth's eyes widened. "Don't even joke about that!" she reprimanded.

Daryl smirked. "Bye Beth."

"Bye Daryl," she said and pulled away from the house.

She could see him in the rearview mirror still standing on the curb watching her drive off, until she turned off the road and he disappeared from sight. She tried not to think about what that meant.

She arrived at the Grimes' right on time. She parked and ran up to the front door. It swung open before she even got the chance to knock, with Lori standing on the other side. She was wearing a nice dress and trying to stick an earring into her ear.

She smiled brightly and pulled Beth into a one armed hug. "Hey sweetie, how are you! It's been too long."

"It has," Beth agreed stepping into the house. "You look great by the way."

Lori grinned at her. "Thank you darlin'. It ain't often that I get Rick to take me out on a date, so might as well make the most of it."

At that moment Rick turned the corner into the hallway dressed in a nice shirt and slacks. "Did I hear my name?" he asked with a smile. "Hello Beth."

"We were just talking about what a wonderful husband you are," Lori said.

"Why is it that I don't quite believe you," he laughed.

She swatted his arm lightly and smiled up at him. He smiled back, and Beth couldn't help but smile herself. They were so in love, and it made her happy. It's what she hoped to have for herself one day.

"Where are the kids?" Lori asked. "Let's say goodbye and get going. Shane and Andrea are meeting us at the restaurant in about fifteen minutes."

"Carl! Judith!" Rick called.

Footsteps could be heard running across the upstairs floor, and then Carl and Judith appeared at the top of the stairs. When they saw Beth they both smiled broadly. They raced down the stairs to see who could get to her first. Carl let Judith win.

"Bethy!" she yelled running up to her legs.

Beth scooped her up and wrapped her in a hug. "Hey baby girl. How are you?"

"Good," she cooed.

Beth smiled at Carl who was at her side and ruffled his hair. "Hey Carl."

He groaned and ran his fingers over his messed up hair. "Ugh Beth, c'mon."

She grinned at him. "What? Who you gotta impress here?" she teased. He blushed slightly and ducked his head.

"Listen little man, I want you to be good. Stay out of your fathers guns or else!" Lori warned pointing a stern finger at him.

"Mom," Carl groaned, "that was one time. I don't even really need a babysitter. I'm not gonna do it again."

"One's enough, and you do need a babysitter because I said so and I don't want nothing happening to you," Lori said with finality.

Rick picked his sheriff hat up off the table next to the front door and dropped it on Carl's head. "You wanna play sheriff, here you go," he said.

Carl grinned. "I guess this means I'm in charge." He wiggled his eyebrows.

"No way," Rick said, and plucked the hat off of Carl's head and placed it on Beth's. "Looks like there's a new sheriff in town."

"How do I look?" Beth laughed.

"It suits you," Rick said with a nod and a smile.

Lori smiled and leaned down to kiss Judith. "Okay, let's go we're gonna be late!" She gave Carl a quick hug and began pushing Rick out the door. "Bye Beth thanks again!" she called over her shoulder.

"Bye!" Beth called and shut the door behind them.

Beth hung out with the kids for a while. They watched Tangled, which Beth and Judith loved and Carl pretended to hate, but Beth looked over a few times and seen him completely engrossed in the film. After the movie Beth put Judith to bed. Surprisingly, she went down without an issue. Beth recalled watching her when she was younger. She'd usually get fussy right before bed, and Beth would have to sing her to sleep. Not that she didn't love singing to the little girl, but this was a nice change. She went back into the living room and hung out with Carl. At around nine thirty Beth looked over at Carl, who was sitting on the living room floor playing some video game and told him it was probably time to turn in.

"But it's only nine thirty!" he complained.

"Yeah and it's a school night," Beth pointed out. "You're lucky I didn't make you go to bed a half an hour ago with Judith.

Carl made a face. "Ugh, fine."

He begrudgingly got up and turned the game off and headed toward the stairs. She poked him in the side as he went. "Goodnight."

"Yeah 'night," he said glumly over his shoulder.

After he was gone, Beth flipped the TV on and settled into the couch to watch some trashy reality TV show. She was just getting into, when her phone rang. She checked the caller ID and seen that it was Sasha. She sighed and hit talk, bracing herself for the inevitable drunk blabbering.

"Hello?" she said.

"Beth!" Sasha cried on the other end of the line over all the background noise of the bar. "What's up!"

"Just sent the kids to bed."

"Are you gonna come?" Sasha cried.

Beth sighed. "I don't think so. Rick and Lori aren't even home yet."

"You're no fun," Sasha complained. "C'mon live a little!"

Beth chuckled. "Goodbye Sasha."

"Bye Beth! Love you!" she giggled on the other end.

"Love you too," Beth said and hung up.

She suddenly found herself wondering what Daryl was doing and if he had gone out with Merle. She felt herself beginning to feel jealous of him being with some woman when she elected to not make herself feel bad. She set her focus back on the TV but couldn't even figure out what she had missed during her phone call with Sasha before she saw headlights pull into the drive way. A moment later Rick and Lori were coming through the front door.

"Hey, you're home early," Beth said rising from her place on the sofa.

Lori nodded weakly. "Yeah I wasn't feeling well. Of course it would happen on our one night out."

"Oh no, what's wrong?" Beth asked.

"Just a stomach ache," Rick said. "She'll be alright."

"Oh well I'm sorry. I guess I'll get out of your hair." She collected her belongings and headed toward the door. Rick followed her and placed a few crisp bills into her hand.

"Thank again," he said.

"Anytime, I love your kids," she replied.

She said goodnight and walked to her car. She slid into the front seat and was about to drive away when her phone dinged letting her know she had a text. She unlocked her phone and saw that it was from Daryl.

_Hey how's babysitting?_

Beth smiled and typed out a reply. _Good leaving now. How's the bar?_

He replied quickly. _Didn't go._

_Why not?_

_Didn't feel like it._

She wondered what had changed his mind. _So you're home?_

_Yep._

So he didn't go out, that gave her an idea. Beth sent Sasha a quick text letting her know that she'd be coming after all and that she'd be bringing a guest. Sasha replied quickly voicing her excitement and hope that Beth was bringing a guy. Beth smirked. Boy was she in for a surprise when she saw Daryl. She went to Daryl's contact in her phone and pressed call. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello," his gruff voice said over the line.

"Hey, so you aren't doing anything?" she asked.

"No I am not," he replied.

"Good. Get ready," she commanded.

"Why?" he asked warily.

"I'm coming to pick you up. We're going out."

**AN: Hello, not much else to say other than thank you all! The response I've gotten to this story is more than I could have ever asked for! It really means a lot to me! I have started the next chapter and hope to be done with it in a few days. In the meantime, I hope you all enjoyed this installment! Until next time.**


	10. Chapter 10

Daryl stood where the grass met the pavement of the road as he waited for Beth in the cool night air. He noted that it was unseasonably cold for this time of year, and pulled his leather jacket around himself a little tighter as a shiver shot up his spine. He took one last long pull from his second cigarette before he stubbed it out, and then immediately lit a third. He was a bit tense at the thought of meeting Beth's friends to say the least. He'd almost not agreed to come at all, but honestly he didn't think he'd had much choice in the matter.

"No way," he'd said to her on the phone initially, when she explained what she wanted them to do.

"C'mon please. It'll be fun," she pleaded.

"I highly doubt that," he countered.

"Well I'm already on my way to your house, so . . ." She let her statement hang in the air.

"What?" he barked, abruptly sitting up from his reclined position on his bed.

She was silent for a moment and he could hear the sound of her blinker being clicked on.

"You shouldn't be talkin' on the phone when you're drivin'," he chided. "You could get in an accident."

"Calm down mom, you're on speaker phone," she said with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

He grunted in response to her teasing. "I don' know 'bout this Beth," he said warily.

"Why not! It'll be fun!" she urged.

"I don' know how kindly your friends will take to me."

"I haven't told any of them about you, or how we met. They'll like you. I promise."

He grumbled incomprehensively. Even if they didn't know the circumstances under which they'd met, Daryl seriously doubted they would like him.

"I'm gonna take that as a reluctant yes. Get ready, I'll be there in fifteen." She hung up without waiting for his reply.

She had let him know what they were doing with an air of finality in her voice, and Daryl had had no choice but to go along with it. In reality, he wanted nothing more than to lock himself in his room with a bottle of whiskey and drink until he passed out, but he figured she'd break down the door if she had to in order to get him out of the house. She may have been small, but she had a fire burning in her.

That was how Daryl found himself standing out in the cold waiting for Beth, and rapidly burning through his last pack of smokes. He'd been smoking for as long as he could remember, but he'd usually been able to limit himself to a couple of cigarettes a day. However, ever since meeting Beth he'd been a bit tenser than usual, and was going through at least half the pack in just one day. Sometimes even more than that on especially stressful days. Then, if it wasn't cigarettes, it was alcohol. Cigarettes helped calm him down, but booze made him forget. And lately he'd found himself in need of an escape from his own damn head.

He knew that it wasn't good for his health, but quite honestly neither was what Beth was doing to his emotional health. In the grand scheme of things Daryl really didn't see himself living long enough for any of it to affect him anyway. Because of the life he lived following along in Merle's wake, he often put himself in dangerous situations that could potentially get him killed. He'd been damn lucky so far having lived almost thirty-five years with nothing more than a few scars, but that luck couldn't last forever. His days were numbered and he knew it. He might as well allow himself the simple pleasures life had to offer before his time was up. That being said, he didn't include indulging in his feelings for Beth as a simple pleasure. She was special. She was something that was to be cherished. She was something that Daryl didn't deserve.

He wasn't exactly sure how he felt about hanging out with Beth's friends, all he knew was that he was nervous as hell. They were probably all fine people. They'd have to be if they were friends with Beth. But they'd realize right away that Daryl wasn't like them, and they'd be wondering what the hell sweet, innocent Beth was doing hanging around with some rough, old redneck. Hell, that was something that Daryl was still wondering himself. He couldn't for the life of him figure out why Beth had even given him the time of day, but if she was willing to spend time with him then he sure as hell wasn't going to complain. A part of himself however, a part that he was doing his best to keep silent, was practically soaring. If Beth wasn't embarrassed about bringing Daryl around her friends, well then maybe . . . no. He wouldn't let himself go there, couldn't let himself go there. Once he started thinking like that then there was no going back. They were friends, nothing more. He couldn't start believing they could be. He was even smart enough to know that.

In the distance, Daryl could see headlights as a car turned onto the road. He was out of time to try and get out of this. Beth was here, and he knew there was definitely no way he'd be able to say no to her in person. Not to those eyes. A moment later she was pulling up next to him. He stubbed out his cigarette and took a deep breath before pulling open the door and getting into the car beside her. She was already turned toward him with a big grin plastered on her face.

"Don' look so pleased with yourself. You're gonna regret bringin' me once you realize that I ain't no fun," he grumbled.

"We'll see," she said with a smirk.

XXX

When they entered the bar Daryl found that it was much nicer than the one he and Merle usually hung out at. While that bar was tiny and dingy and smelt slightly of piss, this bar was much larger and well lit with an overall nicer appeal. That wasn't surprising though, he couldn't picture Beth willingly spending time in any of the dives he was used to. Although, what was surprising was that the place was packed with people on a Thursday night. As he scanned the crowd though he realized why that was. It was a college bar. He hadn't gone himself, but from what he understood a lot of college students set up their schedules so that they didn't have Friday classes. Daryl looked over all the faces of the young individuals in the building and he realized he was probably one of the oldest people there. He tensed and his palms began to sweat as his discomfort doubled. He didn't belong here. He suddenly felt like every pair of eyes in the room was boring into him, judging him, wondering what the hell he was doing there. But they weren't. No one had even glanced his way. He was way out of his element. He considered turning tail and bolting, but he couldn't do that to Beth. She'd invited him here, and he was damn well going to stay.

Beth must have sensed his uneasiness because she looked up at him with a reassuring smile and, after a brief moment of consideration on her side, laced their fingers together. He was a bit stunned with himself when he immediately reciprocated and closed his fingers around hers. A pleasant jolt shot through him as he grew accustomed to the feeling of their hands interlocked. He couldn't even recall the last time he'd held anyone hand, it really wasn't his style. This was nice though he had to admit, especially since it was Beth's hand that he was holding. He may have been blushing, but couldn't be sure seeing as his entire body felt like it was on fire. Beth looked up at him with a twinkle in her eye, and then turned her attention to the crowd and scanned it carefully. When she found who she was looking for she smiled, and then turned to Daryl.

"C'mon," she said and she surged forward into the crowd, towing Daryl behind her.

She led him over to a group of five people sitting at a table towards the back of the bar. One of the girls jumped up when she saw them and wrapped Beth in an excited hug.

"You're here!" the girl yelled.

"I am!" Beth agreed with a laugh.

They broke apart, and then Beth gestured to Daryl.

"Sasha, this is Daryl. Daryl this is my best friend Sasha," she said, making introductions.

Sasha eyed him up and down curiously, and then grinned broadly. Daryl was surprised. It was not quite the reaction he had expected.

"Nice to meet you!" she said.

She then turned to give Beth a knowing look, and Beth shook her head at her friend and gave her a pointed glare. Daryl looked at Beth with a questioning expression, to which she responded by blushing and looking away. She distracted him momentarily by directing his attention toward the rest of the small group. They were staring him with interest; no looks of animosity could be seen in any of their expressions. He came to the realization that maybe he had overreacted. He just wasn't used to assuming the best about anyone, or thinking anyone would assume the best about him. It wasn't his nature.

"Let me introduce you to everyone else," Beth said. "This is Bob, Tara, Rosita, and Karen."

She pointed at each as she said their names. They each waved and greeted Daryl warmly. He responded with a nod, as he did his best to remember each of their names and faces. After the introductions, they made room at their table and Daryl carried over two chairs for himself and Beth. He held out her chair for her and she smile up at him gratefully as she took her seat. He felt his stomach flip. She looked unfairly beautiful tonight and it was staring to mess with his head. As they settling into the group he kept catching himself staring at her, and then having to avert his eyes before she noticed. However, he hadn't escaped Sasha's notice. They hadn't even been there that long and she'd already caught him more than once, and had given him a knowing look. He hoped to God that she wouldn't say anything to Beth. He almost laughed at that. That was the first time in a long time that he'd asked God for anything. It hadn't quite gone his way the last time, but that was something he didn't like to think about.

"So, Daryl," Beth said looking over at him, "Sasha is Tyreese's sister. Daryl works with him at Dale's." She directed the last part at Sasha.

"Yeah?" Daryl said. "Your brother's a good guy."

"Oh wow, what a small world," Sasha said. "I'll have to tell Ty I met you."

Daryl nodded at her, but didn't say anything else.

The group fell into a conversation about their college classes, a discussion Daryl had nothing to contribute to seeing as he hadn't gone to college. He hadn't even finished high school. He and Merle had blown town a few months before his graduation. At that point in his life he just couldn't be bothered to finish. He had already been failing more than one class so even if he had finished out the year he'd either have to go to summer school or repeat the grade altogether. No thanks. He'd just wanted to get as far away as possible from his hometown and the memories that it held. He'd regretted it later in life, and had gotten his GED. Merle had given him plenty of shit for it, but he'd been determined. He hit the books and a year later he took the test. He'd passed with flying colors.

He did it partly because he knew he'd probably never get a job without it, but also because he didn't want to feel like such a worthless piece of shit anymore. It had only helped somewhat. He hadn't done anything with it. He hadn't gotten a job or gone to college. He didn't even have it anymore. He'd balled it up and thrown it into trash in a fit of rage a while back. He had resented that stupid piece of paper and his wasted potential that it represented.

Beth noticed that Daryl had been failing to participate in that conversation, and squeezed his knee comfortingly under the table. He felt a jolt of heat run up his leg. Daryl had no idea why she was acting so affectionate towards him, or why he was even allowing it for that matter. It was very rare that he let anyone touch him. For some reason it was different with Beth though. Everything was different with her. He still couldn't quite understand why that was.

"Well, I need a refill," Tara said downing the rest of her drink and placing her empty glass on the table. "Anyone else want anything?"

"Beer me," Karen said, placing her empty glass down next to Tara's,

Tara moved to get up, but Beth stopped her.

"I'll get them!" she volunteered. "What are you all having?"

They each gave her their drinks orders, and then she turned to Daryl.

"You want anything?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nah, I ain't drinkin' tonight."

"That's good. Someone needs to be able to drive home," she said with a wink. He felt his breath leave his lungs. She moved on, completely unaware of how her actions had just affected him.

"I'll be right back with everyone's drinks," she said and disappeared into the crowd as she headed towards the bar. Daryl watched her as she went, taking in the sway of her hips as she walked. God she looked good.

"So, Daryl," Bob said drawing his attention away from Beth's body, and back to reality. "You work with Tyreese. You like fixin' cars?"

"'Bout one of the only things I do like," Daryl answered.

"I'd beg to differ," Sasha said under her breath so only Daryl could hear.

He set his jaw in annoyance, but didn't react beside that. She was trying to get a rise out of him, and Daryl wouldn't give her the satisfaction. Who was she to make assumptions about how he was feeling? Even if she may have been right, she still was still way out of line in Daryl's opinion.

His previous statement had earned a laugh from Bob, and he began to tell Daryl about an old car that he had that he was trying to fix up. Directing his attention away from Sasha and her observations, Daryl and Bob talked animatedly about cars for a few moments. The girls largely ignored them while they talked about something else. However Rosita soon began listening in on their conversation, looking unimpressed with whatever Sasha, Karen, and Tara were currently discussing. Every now and then she'd pipe in with her own knowledge or insight on the subject, and Daryl had to admit that he was impressed. You wouldn't be able to tell by looking at her dressed in cutoff shorts and a halter top, but the girl knew her stuff. He figured that was what happened when you stereotyped. He should have known better. He couldn't even count how many times he's been pegged as being something he wasn't because of how he looked. Not everyone was always what they seemed to be.

It was then that he realized that Beth had been gone a bit too long. He began scanning the bar for her, only half listening to Bob as he told him a story about how he had broken down once in the middle of the night and fixed up his car with only a rubber band and some tape until he could get it to a shop. Daryl would have been impressed if he wasn't focused on looking for where Beth had disappeared to. When he finally spotted her, he saw red.

She was being pinned to the bar by some kid. He could tell by her expression that she was in no enjoying what was currently transpiring. Before Daryl could even process what he was doing, he was up and crossing the room, leaving Bob in the middle of a sentence. Beth looked afraid. He could see the fear in her eyes. He could tell that she was trying to stay calm though, trying to reason with whoever the hell this kid was. He saw her say something to the kid, but he couldn't hear what it was. He was too far away. That was so _Beth_ of her. He'd have to have a talk with her about that because one of these days it was going to get her seriously hurt. The kid obviously wasn't having it, because when Daryl got closer he could see that he had a hand gripping Beth's wrist so tightly that his fingertips had turned white. Daryl felt a fire ignite in his gut. He was going to fucking kill this kid. He was going to break his goddamned neck if he didn't get his hands off her.

Daryl stepped silently behind him. "You best take your hand off her unless you wanna lose it," he said in a low menacing voice.

When Beth saw him, relief washed over her features. The kid looked up at Daryl, who towered over him, and turned white. However, he didn't release her wrist.

"Who the hell are you," the kid spat at him. Daryl could tell right away that he was hammered. "Her elderly uncle?"

Daryl placed his own hand over the kid's wrist and squeezed with as much force as he could. He wanted to see how he liked it. "You have 'bout three seconds 'til things get physical, so I suggest you do as you're told," Daryl growled.

The kid winced and released Beth's wrist and backed away from her quickly. Beth stumbled away from the bar and fell into Daryl's side. He wrapped an arm around her protectively.

"You okay?" he asked her softly.

"Yes," she said weakly.

He turned his attention back to the kid, and fixed him with an icy stare. "You fuckin' come near her again, and I'll kill you. That's a promise."

"Fine whatever, she's a bitch anyway. You can have her," the boy sneered rubbing at his wrist.

"You best watch you're tone boy," Daryl warned. "I'm fuckin' watching you."

With that, he turned and led Beth away from him. It took nearly everything in him not to beat the shit out of him. How _dare_ he lay a hand on Beth? She didn't deserve that. Daryl didn't even comprehend how anyone could ever want to hurt her. He deserved to have the shit kicked out of him, and it would have been a privilege for Daryl to do it. He knew Beth wouldn't have liked it though, and that was the only thing holding him back.

"Who the hell was that?" Daryl asked her once they were a good distance away.

"My ex-boyfriend Zach," she told him in a soft voice. "I broke up with him last year, and I haven't really seen him since. I guess he's still pretty upset about it."

It wasn't just some random guy; it was her someone she had dated, someone she had trusted. Daryl felt another flash of anger surge through him, and it took everything he had to remain calm.

"What did he want?"

"Me back I guess," Beth shrugged. "He wanted me to leave with him and when I told him I was here with people he got angry. I tried to get him to calm down, but he wouldn't listen. That's when you showed up. Thank you by the way," she said looking at him gratefully.

"S'nothing," Daryl said. "He's fuckin' lucky I didn' kill him on the spot."

He was still pissed at the kid, if he even caught him looking at her the wrong way now he'd probably knock him out, but now that he knew Beth was okay he was able to being calming down some. Just to be safe, he figured that they should probably leave before that happened.

"You 'bout ready to call it a night?" he asked her.

She nodded vigorously. "Yes please. Let's go say goodbye and then get the hell out of here."

He nodded in agreement and then began to lead her back over to her friends, but she stopped him.

"What?" he questioned, ever muscle in his body tensing. He was still wound up.

"I forgot the drinks," she said glancing back to the bar warily.

Daryl almost laughed. After all of that and she was concerned about forgetting her friends drinks.

"Fuck the drinks," he said. "They can get their own."

She hesitated before nodding and allowing herself to be led back to the table. Daryl shook his head. She was just too damn good. He had no idea how she could even be real.

"What's wrong?" Sasha asked as they approached, taking in Beth and Daryl's expressions. Beth looked upset, and Daryl was sure that he had to have looked livid.

Beth shook her head. "I'll tell you about it tomorrow. I'm fine I just want to go home."

"Okay," Sasha agreed warily. "You sure you're okay? You want me to come with you?"

"No," Beth said, and then smiled softly at Daryl over her shoulder. "We're good."

Sasha nodded, her own small smile playing on her lips at Beth's answer. Beth hugged her, and then moved to say farewell to the rest of her friends. Daryl waved at them all before turning to leave. Sasha grabbed his arm and his tensed slightly under her touch.

"Take care of her, okay? Make sure she gets home okay." she requested in a quiet voice so Beth couldn't hear.

He decided then that he liked her. She may have been giving him shit the entire night, but he could see how much she cared about Beth. That made her okay in his book.

Daryl nodded. "Don' worry I will."

Beth stepped next to him, having finished saying her goodbyes. He raised his eyebrows as a way of asking if she was ready, and she nodded. He took her arm and led her out of the bar. He kept an eye peeled for that Zach kid. He didn't think he'd be stupid enough to come at her again, but just in case he wanted to be prepared. A moment later they were out in the cold air and standing outside of her car.

"You okay to drive?" he asked her. Most of her color had come back, but she still looked a bit shaky.

She shook her head. "Would you mind?"

He nodded and held his hand out for the keys, which she pressed into his waiting palm. He opened the passenger door for her and helped her climb in, and then walked around and let himself into the driver's side. She was quiet for most of the drive home, only speaking to give Daryl directions to her apartment. The remaining time she spent staring out the window lost in thought. When they pulled up in front of her building Daryl stared at it appreciatively. It was nice, a lot nicer than his own place. He suspected that the inside of her actual apartment would be even nicer.

Beth didn't make a move to get out.

"You okay?" Daryl asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just confused is all."

"How so?"

Beth sighed. "We were together for almost a year. I never saw him act like that. I'm just wondering if I missed it or he just hid it well. Or maybe he just changed. I don't know."

Daryl shrugged. "No explainin' people like that," he said simply. "It ain't your fault."

She mulled that over for a few minutes, probably considering the fact that he was speaking from experience, before nodding in acceptance.

"I guess you're right," she admitted.

"'Course I am," he stated. "C'mon let me walk you to your apartment."

"No, wait," she said stopping him as he reached for the handle. "How are you going to get home? Let me drive you."

He shook his head. "You should go to bed. I'll walk."

"No way," Beth said. "It's late."

"I think I'll be okay," he said with a small smirk.

Beth thought about it for a moment. "Fine, if you won't let me drive you then you just take my truck."

Daryl squinted at her. "I can't do that."

"Why not?" she asked. "Just come back and pick me up in the morning. I'll drop you off at work before I go to my Daddy's vet to help out."

"I can't take your car, Beth," he insisted.

"I don't think you'll steal it if that's your issue," she huffed. "I trust you. I know I haven't known you that long, but I feel like I have. Is that weird?" she asked, looking up at him self-consciously.

Daryl felt his stomach flip. So she felt it too?

"Naw, it ain't. I kinda feel the same way," he admitted with a shrug, trying to play it off as if it wasn't a big of deal as it actually was.

"Good," she said with a smile. "Then it's settled."

She hopped out of the car, and he followed. They made their way into the building and up the five flights of steps to her apartment. He was lucky he was in pretty good shape from his time spent in the woods hunting, because otherwise he'd be out of breath. He had no idea how Beth did this every day. When they got there she didn't even bother taking her key out. Daryl looked at her warily as the door swung open easily.

"Maggie home or somethin'?" he asked.

"No, she's sleeping at Glenn's tonight," Beth replied. "Why?"

He furrowed his brow. "Then why was your door unlocked?"

"Oh, I always forget to lock it," she said with a shrug.

He frowned at her. "Beth really? Do you know how dangerous that is? Anyone can just walk in."

"Is that so?" she said shooting a knowing smirk at Daryl.

He blushed when he realized what he had just said, and recalled the night they met and how he had just gotten into her car because it was unlocked.

"Okay maybe that was a bit hypocritical of me, but still. I just want you to be safe," he said earnestly and ducked his head.

"That's very sweet of you," she said with a grin. "Would it make you feel better to check the apartment for intruders before you leave?"

He nodded and entered the front room slowly, scanning it carefully. He was right. The inside of her apartment was much nicer. It had a very Beth feel to it. He smiled as he looked around, suddenly in the middle of her space. Everything here was hers. She'd picked it all out and set it up how she wanted it. Well, with the help of her sister of course. He felt that he could tell by just looking around what was hers though. That's how well he felt he knew her.

He checked each room twice, even going as far to checking each closet, under the beds, and behind the shower curtain. He'd even opened the refrigerator, which gained an audible laugh from Beth. She stopped when he shot a glare at her over his shoulder, and she placed a hand to her lips to muffle her laughter. She trailed after him watching in amusement as he walked through and checked each room carefully. When he was satisfied that they were in fact the only ones there he made his way back to the front door in the living room.

"It's clean," he reported.

"Thank goodness," Beth giggled. "I was shakin' in my boots."

"You should be thankin' me," he said pointing at her sternly. "Not givin' me shit."

"Thank you, Mr. Dixon," she said with a smile.

"That's better," he said rubbing the back of his neck. "You sure you're okay? You don' want me to stay?" He didn't like the idea of her being all alone in the apartment. "I'd sleep on the couch," he added quickly.

She smirked. "And how do you think Maggie would react to coming home and finding you in our living room? She's not you're biggest fan you know."

Daryl sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I can only imagine." He moved toward the door. "I guess I'll be goin' if you're sure you're good."

"I guess you will be," she replied.

He opened the door and stepped into the hallway. "I want you to lock this behind me," he said sternly.

"Yes, sir," she saluted him.

He pulled the door closed halfway. "No, seriously I'm not leaving 'til I hear this door lock." He pulled it all the way closed, and could her Beth's bubbly laughter on this other side. A moment later he heard the lock click into place. He turned the handle for good measure and it didn't open. He stepped back pleased.

"Goodnight, Beth," he called through the door.

"Goodnight, Daryl," he heard her reply, muffled slightly. "See you in the morning."

"See you," he agreed, and then headed back towards the lobby.

A few moments later he hopped into Beth's car and turned it on. It felt odd being in here without her, like he was trespassing. He smiled as he recalled the relief he felt at finding her car unlocked less than a week ago. Somehow so much had changed for him in so little time. He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around it all. He looked up at the window he now knew to be hers, and watched as she flicked the light on to what he assumed was her bedroom. A moment later it flicked off. He sat in the car and scanned the street. He was aware that she was safely locked away in her apartment, but he was still worried about her. He didn't want to just leave her.

Then his phone buzzed in his pocket. He sighed as he pulled it out, expecting it to be Merle. But it wasn't. It was Beth.

_Go home creep. I'm fine!_ The text read.

Daryl looked up at Beth's window and found her watching him. He waved guiltily, and she waved back with a big grin on her face. He saw her look down at something, and his phone buzzed again.

_Drive away!_

He sighed and waved a hand at her as if to say 'I'm going, I'm going' and put the car in drive. He spared one last look at her before pulling away from the curb and driving away completely. He drove home and parked the car on the street, and headed inside. He kicked off his boots by the door, and trudged into his bedroom. He was suddenly exhausted. He plopped down on the bed and fished his phone out of his pocket so he could plug it into the charger for the night. He found that he had another new text from Beth.

_Goodnight Daryl. I'm really happy you were there tonight. Thank you for everything, _it read.

He smiled softly to himself as he plugged the phone in and rolled over in his bed, feeling good. He was still smiling when he fell asleep.

**AN: Hello! So editing this chapter took a bit longer than usual. I'm satisfied with the way it sits now, and I'm sorry for the slight delay. One week left until freedom! I just want to say thank you again to all of you. Writing is very important to me and the fact that you have all embraced this story just means so much to me! The next chapter has been started, so expect an update this weekend probably. I'm just going to put it out there that I have a paper to write and finals to study for though, just in case I fail to deliver on that promise you know why. Until next time! Thanks again!**


	11. Chapter 11

The next morning Beth sat at the table absentmindedly picking at her breakfast, while thinking about the previous night. She wasn't upset about what had happened anymore. She was angry. So she had broken up with Zach. So what? It had been over a year ago, and their relationship had run its course. She wasn't obligated to stay with him, and he had absolutely no right to treat her the way that he had the night before. He was lucky that in the moment she had been too scared and confused to fully process what was happening, because if Zach was standing in front of her right now she'd probably sock him in the jaw. Deservedly so. Her tiny size aside, her current anger probably could fuel a decent punch. She was glad that Daryl had been there though. She wasn't quite sure what she would have done without him. She had found it endearing that he'd been so concerned for her safety, and if she was being honest with herself she'd have to admit that that she'd also found him extremely attractive while he did it. She had almost wished that he had stayed the night, but then reminded herself that that wasn't what their relationship was. It was strictly platonic. However, pesky feelings kept creeping up on her that were threatening to put that platonic friendship in jeopardy.

She was still wrapped up in her thoughts when Maggie came through the front door. She looked up startled when Beth greeted her, and her hand flew to her chest in shock.

"Oh I didn't realize you were here. You scared me," Maggie said with light laugh. "The door was actually locked for once, and your car wasn't outside." A playful grin spread over her lips, but then she frowned. "Wait, why isn't your car here?"

Beth paused briefly before speaking. "Daryl has it," she said. Then she braced herself for the inevitable yelling.

Absolute disdain spread over Maggie's features.

"I knew it! He fucking stole it didn't he!? Where the hell is my phone? I'm calling Sheriff Grimes!" she fumed as she began aggressively rummaging through her purse.

Beth sighed and got up from her place at the table, and walked over to grab her sister's hand as she yanked the phone out her bag and began scrolling through her contacts.

"Stop, he didn't steal it. I let him borrow it," Beth explained.

Maggie froze, and then knit her eyebrows together. "Why the hell would you do that!?" she asked in bewilderment.

Beth sighed again. She knew Maggie wouldn't accept her decision to let Daryl take her car home the previous night, but she at least hoped that her sister would understand after she explained what had happened. Beth took a deep breath and recounted her encounter with Zach. As she spoke, she watched Maggie's expression change from anger at Daryl, to sympathy for Beth, before it finally settled on absolute hatred for Zach.

"I knew I didn't like that kid!" she snarled. "I'll kill him!"

"I don't think that'll be necessary." Beth said dryly. "Daryl scared him pretty bad."

Maggie's expression softened slightly. "He really helped you get away from him?" she asked.

Beth nodded. "I was trying to talk to Zach and get him to back off, but he wouldn't listen to me. Luckily Daryl stepped in before it got really bad."

As she spoke she absentmindedly ran her fingers over the small purple bruises Zach had left on her wrist. She felt another rush of gratitude flow through her for Daryl. He really had saved her. If it had come down to it, she wasn't sure that she could have gotten away. She was angry now and that could have been used to her advantage, but in the moment she was scared. Beth wasn't very strong. If it had come down to a physical altercation she doubted that she'd be able to overpower Zach. Everyone else around them had been wasted; therefore no one had paid them any mind. But it hadn't come to that. Because Daryl had been there. He had noticed she was in danger, and he got her away from it. Beth glanced down at her wrist and pulled her lips into a thin line. She would wear her bruises as a reminder that maybe she couldn't just talk her way out of every dangerous situation she found herself in. One day it might not work out in her favor.

Maggie sat thinking over what Beth had told her for a long moment.

"Maybe this Daryl guy isn't so bad after all," she said finally.

Beth looked up at her and smiled.

Maggie held up a hand. "That doesn't mean I approve! I'm just happy he was there is all."

"He's a good guy! I swear," Beth said feeling a rush of affection towards her sister. She had recognized that Daryl had been looking out for Beth, and maybe that meant she was one step closer to accepting his presence in Beth's life.

"Yeah, well I want to meet him."

The smile fell away from Beth's face immediately.

"I don't know about that. . ." she said slowly.

"Why? What's the problem?" her sister questioned, and set her eyes into a slight glare.

"He's kind of a private person," she said awkwardly. "I don't know if he'll want to meet you."

"Well too bad," Maggie said. "If you're going to be dating him, or whatever the hell you two are doing, I'm meeting him. I'd like to know who my little sister is hanging out with."

"We aren't together," she said flatly. "And I'm not little."

Beth grimaced. She was twenty-one years old. She wasn't a little girl anymore, and she shouldn't have to introduce all of her friends to Maggie. Especially friends she was in no way shape or form dating. She may have been acting more affectionate toward Daryl, but it wasn't because she expected anything to come out of it. She was doing it partly because she thought that some tenderness would do him good, and also for herself because she wanted to. Although, the fact that Maggie just assumed that they were together tugged on Beth's heart strings a bit. She didn't want to use the word pining to describe herself because it made her seem like some love-struck teenager longing for an older man, but that's exactly what she was doing. She was pining for something she'd never have.

Maggie waved her off. "You'll always be my little sister. And, whatever you two are, I still want to meet him. Let him know who he'll be answering to if he screws up."

Beth was about to protest, but her phone dinged, saving her the effort. She checked it, and saw that she had a new message from Daryl.

_Outside whenever you're ready_, it read.

Beth smiled and held it up for Maggie to see.

"See he didn't steal my car. He's outside waiting for me."

"Outside the apartment?" Maggie questioned, suddenly looking very alert.

Beth nodded. "Yeah, but—"

Before she could even finish speaking, Maggie was across the room and darting into Beth's bedroom so she could get a look at the street. Beth ran after her and tackled her onto the bed.

"Don't let him see you!" she cried.

"Why not? Don't want him to think you're spying on him?" Maggie said with a laugh.

"Maggie!" she pleaded.

"Okay, okay. I'll be cool," she promised.

Maggie raised her head slightly so she could just see out of the bottom of the window. Beth was too nervous to lift her head and look out as well, so she had no idea what Maggie was seeing.

"Does he have like shaggy brown hair?" she asked.

Beth nodded into her side. For some reason she was afraid to speak. She didn't know why though, it's not like Daryl could hear her.

"Seriously? Wow. I didn't think that was actually him. Oh my god, Beth how old is this guy? Forty?"

"He's thirty-four," she said defensively.

"Beth you're twenty-one! You can't date this guy!" Maggie cried.

"We aren't dating!" Beth reminded her tersely.

"Yeah whatever you say." Maggie said airily. "I can see why you like him though. He's got that bad boy rugged look going on. It's pretty hott."

Beth glared at her, but she had to admit, it was hott.

"What's he doing right now?" she asked hoping that she didn't sound too interested.

"He's standing on the sidewalk."

"Did he see you?"

"No he didn't see me. Calm down, jeez."

"Okay, good."

"I still want to meet him," Maggie said again.

Beth sighed. "I'll talk to him. Now get off of me I have to go. He's probably wondering where I am."

Maggie climbed off the bed, and Beth followed. She thought back to the previous night and how he had stayed parked on the street after she had told him to leave. He didn't want to leave her alone because he was worried about her. He'd looked so cute and flustered after she'd caught him. She felt her heart leap again just thinking about it.

She replied to Daryl, letting him know she'd be down in a minute, and went to retrieve her things. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her bag off the table, and then called a goodbye over her shoulder to Maggie, who had disappeared into her own bedroom. Then she was out the door and down the stairs. A moment later she was exiting her apartment building, and squinting into the bright sun. After her eyes adjusted she could see that Daryl was leaning against the passenger side of her car smoking a cigarette. She knew it was horribly unhealthy, but boy did he make it look good.

"Those will kill you, you know," she said walking up beside him, and wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah, so could a lot of other stuff," he said with a shrug.

"You know what I mean," she said and bumped her shoulder against his. "Hi, by the way."

He looked down at her and smirked. "Hi."

She smiled back. If he had smoked in the car, she hoped he'd at least rolled the windows down. No matter how good Daryl made it look, she still found smoking disgusting, and she hated the smell. He took one last drag of his cigarette, then flicked it onto the ground, and stomped it out with the toe of his boot.

"I didn't smoke in the car," he said, as if reading her mind.

The corner of her lip pulled up. "Better not have," she quipped, doing her best to sound intimidating.

It didn't work, because instead of looking scared, he just shook his head at her slightly in amusement. She could only imagine how she looked to him. All blonde hair and five foot nothing, standing with her hands on her hips and staring up at him. She imagined it was a humorous sight.

"You alright?" he asked her in a low voice. "After last night?"

She nodded. "Yeah I'm okay, pissed as hell, but other than that I'm good."

"Good," he said seriously, "you should be. I think you should steer clear of that kid. I don't think he'll bother you again if I'm around, but if I'm not he might try to come at you."

"So, you plan on being around more?" she said, and then grinned.

He blushed furiously and ducked his head. "You know what I mean," he muttered.

Beth let out an easy laugh, and then brushed his arm lightly. "Oh stop, I was just kidding. I want you around."

He looked up at her from behind a few stray pieces of hair that had fallen into his eyes. "You ready to go?"

"Sure am," she said, enjoying his discomfort more than she probably should have

He held out her keys to her.

She tilted her head at him. "What, you don't want to chauffer me around anymore?" she asked playfully.

"Nah," he said, grabbing her hand and pressing the keys into her palm. "Just wait 'til I can get that truck fixed up, and then maybe I'll drive you around some more."

"I can't wait," she chirped, as she walked around the car to hop into the driver's seat.

She turned the car on as Daryl climbed in next to her. She glanced over at him, but a flash of brown hair in her window behind his head caught her eye. She set her eyes into a glare. _Maggie_. Beth grimaced. Her sister was spying on her with Daryl. She couldn't exactly be mad though, seeing as Maggie was just looking out for her, but she was certainly going to be getting an earful about why it was rude to spy when Beth got home later. Daryl followed her gaze, and glanced at the window for a moment before looking back at Beth.

"Sister spyin' again?" he asked trying to hide a grin.

Beth gaped at him. "Again? You saw before?"

He pressed his lips together as if he was trying to suppress a laugh, and then nodded. Beth buried her head in her hands in embarrassment.

"Oh my god," she moaned. "How?"

"I hunt. I've trained myself to always be aware of my surroundings," he said with a shrug. "And ya'll weren't bein' very inconspicuous."

"Well, that's embarrassing," she said with an awkward chuckle. She could feel the heat beginning to rise to her cheeks. "Were you not going to say anything about it?"

"Not unless it came up."

That was so _Daryl_ of him. Noticing everything but not talking about any of it. She sighed and flicked on her turn signal so she could pull away from the curb. She knew Maggie wasn't being careful when she was spying earlier even though she said she was, and then she had done it again. Beth was going to kill her.

"So you don' have class today?" Daryl asked after a moment.

She was thankful for the subject change. He didn't seem particularly bothered that her and Maggie had been spying on him, so that was good, but Beth was beyond embarrassed.

"No. I'm helping out my Daddy at his clinic today."

Daryl nodded. "Until when you think?"

"The shop closes at four, and then we'll probably end up getting an early dinner before I pick you up. I'm still picking you up right?"

"Yeah," he said, and then paused for a long moment looking like he wanted to say something else. Beth didn't live far from Dale's shop, so they were already there and pulling into the parking lot.

"Why?" Beth asked, putting the car in park.

He shrugged. "I dunno. I was just wonderin' if you don' got nothin' else goin' on later maybe you'd wanna hang out? Merle ain't gonna be home, so we can go back to my place and watch a movie or sumthin'." He said it all in a rush, like he was fighting to get the words out.

Beth was actually shocked. Every other time they'd hung out since meeting she had been the one to initiate it. Now he was actually asking her to do something all on his own.

"Watch a movie on what?" she laughed. "You don't have a TV."

"I got a computer, thank you very much," he huffed.

"That's surprising. You don't seem like much of a technology person."

"Why? 'Cause I'm old?" he said defensively.

Beth rolled her eyes. "No, because seem like more of a 'nature is my TV type'. And stop, you aren't even that old."

She could see the tension leave his shoulders. "Oh. Alrigh'." Then he thought for a moment. "You wouldn't be wrong about that. I only got the computer 'cause pretty much everythin's online nowadays."

"Fair enough. I'd love to come over."

"Really?" he asked looking almost surprised. "Alrigh'."

"Cool," Beth said with a smile. "Have a good day. I'll see you later."

"Yeah, have a good time with your dad,' Daryl said.

He gave her a prolonged look, before getting out of the car abruptly. Then he headed towards the shop without looking back, and Beth drove away.

XXX

It had been a busy day at the clinic. Not only did Beth have to clean all the kennels and feed the animals, but Mrs. Harrison's dog had gotten into a fight with a porcupine. Beth had to assist her father while he pulled out the quills. Overall, it was not a very relaxing day. By the time four o' clock rolled around, Beth couldn't have been happier as she watched her father turn the open sign around to read 'closed'. Beth had no idea how Maggie did this every day. She herself only came in maybe twice a week, and that was almost too much for her. She loved animals, but she was more into when they were playful and happy and not angry and sick like they usually were here. It was Maggie's day off, so it had just been Beth and Hershel at the clinic today. Beth had barely even had a moment to breathe since she'd walked through the door that morning.

Hershel stretched his arms in the air and then sighed. "Long day. I'm getting old."

"You don't look a day over thirty," Beth said lightly.

The fact of the matter however, was that her father was nearing his seventies. He was getting old. You wouldn't know it though, given the fact that he was so lively. The man never stopped moving. Besides some aches here and there, he was as healthy as a horse, and for that Beth was thankful. She had already lost her mother and brother. She didn't think she'd be able to handle losing her father too.

"Tell that to my bones," he said with a chuckle.

"What were you thinking for dinner?" she asked him.

"Patricia actually packed us some sandwiches if you're interested. They're in my office."

"Turkey and lettuce?" Beth asked him seriously.

"Of course. Only the best for you sweetheart," Hershel said with a soft smile.

"Well what are we still doing out here then? Dinner is calling my name!" she joked.

"Lead the way," he said and gestured for her to go ahead of him.

Once they got settled at the desk in Hershel's office with their meals, he spoke.

"So Beth," he started, "you never told me. How did things work out with that boy?"

"Oh yeah," Beth said. "I meant to talk to you about that. We worked it out. Everything's okay now."

"That's good," Hershel mused. "So you like this boy then." It wasn't a question.

Her father was the most understanding person she knew. Maggie was too hung up on Daryl being a criminal, and Sasha would only be interested in securing Beth a new boyfriend, so neither of them would be giving any helpful insight. If she was going to talk about this with anyone, it was going to be Hershel.

Beth sighed. "I know I like him as a person, a friend, but now I'm starting to think that it may be more than that. I don't know what to do, Daddy. He doesn't see me that way."

"What makes you think that?"

"He probably just sees me as a kid," she said with a frown.

"A kid?" Hershel said, furrowing his brow. "How old is this boy?"

_Oops._ Beth had forgotten that Hershel didn't know about the age gap between her and Daryl.

"Thirty-four," she said weakly, refusing to meet his eyes. She was sure he'd be upset with her.

"I see," he said. His tone gave away nothing.

She braced herself for the inevitable lecture like she'd gotten from Maggie, but it never came. She allowed herself to look up at him, and he was staring at her with concern and not anger.

"What no lecture?" she said with a nervous laugh.

"You're an adult, Beth," he said simply. "And you can't choose who you care about. If you recall your mother and I had quite a few years between us as well. So, for me to berate you about the same thing would be like throwing stones at glass houses." He smiled wryly.

After all her twenty-one years Beth was still underestimating her father. He was always amazing her with his capacity for compassion and understanding. He'd always been kind, but in her younger years he had been much sterner. After Annette and Shawn had passed, instead of becoming hard and cold, he'd become even more caring. He was truly a great man.

"But you're still my little girl," he reminded her. "And I need you to be careful. I need you to be smart."

"Daryl isn't just some old creep, Daddy," Beth promised. "He isn't a criminal either. He's a good man. He was just doing what he thought he had to try and help his brother. Like you always say, family first, right?"

Hershel nodded. "Family first," he agreed. Then he smiled. "How could he not be interested in you? You have the kindest heart out of anyone I've ever met."

"Thanks Daddy," Beth said with a smile.

Even though it didn't change how Daryl felt one way or another, her father always knew how to make her feel better. Finally getting all of this off her chest made her feel good. She felt like a weight had been lifted off her now that someone else knew what she was feeling.

"Anytime Bethy," he said, and patted her knee.

XXX

Daryl checked the clock mounted on the wall behind him, and found that it was near quitting time. That meant that Beth should be there to pick him up at any moment. He finished screwing in the bolts on the car he'd been working on, and then stepped back to admire his work. The red four door sitting in front of him had looked pretty bad when he and Tyreese had started on it the previous morning. It'd been in a wreck, and the passenger door was smashed in. They'd replaced the door, fixed up some dings, and now it was as good as new.

"Dale, this one's done," Daryl called to his boss, who was sitting as his desk absorbed in his crossword puzzle.

Dale nodded, and then placed down his paper in order to make the call to the owner of the car. The owner would be happy to have it back, seeing as it had been sitting in the shop for over a week now while they waited for the parts to come in.

Daryl wiped off his hands on a rag and began gathering his things. He'd wait for Beth outside while he had a cigarette. He hadn't had one since that morning when she'd commented on his smoking, and he was jonsing big time. He'd resolved then and there to quit. There was something in him that just switched off when she said she didn't like it, and it no longer felt appealing to him. However, it was a lot harder than just saying it. He actually had to do it. So instead of going cold turkey, he was going to slightly wean himself off of them until he didn't need them anymore. He was even considering doing the same with booze, but only time would tell if it stuck.

"You leaving for the day, Daryl?" Dale called to him as he was headed outside.

"Yeah," he called back. "Goodnight."

"You're girlfriend picking you up?"

Daryl looked back at him, and he had a gleam in his eye.

He sighed. "Yeah, _Beth_ is."

No matter how many times he told the man that it wasn't like that, Dale refused to believe him. Now he didn't even waste his breath anymore. Let the old man believe what he wanted if that made him happy. It didn't make it true.

Dale chuckled. "Goodnight, Daryl."

Daryl waved over his shoulder, and then stepped out into the cool evening air, and lit up a cigarette. It was nearly five o' clock, and Beth should have been arriving at any moment. Then they would be heading back to the cabin to hang out. He was surprised with himself for actually managing to work up the courage to ask her. It wasn't even a date and he had been freaking out about it, mostly out of fear that she'd say no. He wasn't used to asking a woman to do anything. In his experience, he only associated with the women that Merle knew. Even then, they didn't talk much. They'd all hang out at a bar and get drunk, until Merle decided he wanted to go back to whatever place they were staying at. Then, if he wasn't too wasted, sometimes he and the girl would go back to his room. That was very rare though. If it did happen it was quick, and once it was over he'd send the girl packing. He wasn't one for cuddling, and he usually felt dirty afterwards. It was something about being with those women that just never felt right to him. He wasn't sure if it was all their caked on makeup, or the suffocating amount of perfume they wore. It just wasn't for him. They weren't for him. He had to put on a show every once and while though to appease Merle. Otherwise he'd never hear the end of it.

So basically, he'd never actually asked a woman to do anything with him. He didn't know the protocol, or what it entailed. He'd decided that he was going to do it early that morning, and had gone shopping before going to pick up Beth so that they actually had more than just beer in the house when she came over. He hadn't gotten much, just chips, soda, peanut butter and jelly, bread, instant coffee. The basics. He'd even gotten pigs feet, his own personal favorite. When he pulled out his wallet to pay the cashier, he felt good. Dale had paid him for the week the day before, and he now had a decent amount of money in his pocket. The majority would be going to Merle's debts, but the rest was for Daryl. Having money that he worked for was a new sensation for him. It was empowering. It was liberating.

When they'd found the cabin, the kitchen had been fully stocked with dishes, so they were covered in that department. That had been lucky. What had been really lucky though was the fact that it had running water. Daryl and Merle had been shocked when Daryl flicked the faucet on and actually water came out. It was a bit rusty at first from disuse, but cleared up after a few moments. After further examination of the property, they had found a well that connected water to the cabin. That was when Daryl had known they'd found a good set up. Besides the thick layer of dust that covered everything, the place was perfect, two small bedrooms, an indoor bathroom, running water, even furniture. It was even sort of isolated which meant that no one would realize that they were there for a long while. The only thing that it didn't have was electricity, but that what candles were for. They had a small battery powered generator for small things, and really he didn't need anything else. He had no idea why anyone would abandon such a nice place, but realized that whoever had owned it must have died. That was the only explanation that he could come up with that made any sense.

As he took one last pull from his cigarette, he watched Beth pull into the lot. He stomped it out quickly, not wanting her to see him smoking. He didn't want to see her scrunch her nose in disgust at him again. Then, he jogged over to her truck, and was already pulling the door open before she even had it in park.

"Hey!" she said, looking at him with a big smile that made his heart jump up into his throat.

"Hey, how was work?" he asked.

She heaved a dramatic sigh. "Exhausting. How about you?"

"Good," he said with a nod. "I got all the parts I need for the truck, so I'm thinkin' I'm gonna start workin' on it tomorrow."

"Aren't you off tomorrow?" she asked. "It's the weekend. The shop isn't open. Believe me I know. My car has crapped out over the weekend more than once, and I've had to wait until Monday to get it fixed." She had pulled out the parking lot, and they were already headed to the cabin.

"Yeah, it's closed for regular business, but I talked to Dale and he's gonna let me come in so I can work on it while I ain't doing it on his dime durin' regular hours."

"Oh, that's nice. Okay well what time do you want to go?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Naw, I ain't gonna make you take me on your weekend. I'm sure you got others plans."

"You'd be wrong," she said with a laugh. "C'mon it's no problem. It'll be fun you can teach me about cars. It might come in handy one day with this hunk of junk." She knocked on the dashboard.

He hadn't realized that she'd intended to stay with him. So that was two days now that she wanted to spend with him over her weekend. When he thought about it, he realized that they had seen each other every day since they'd met. He didn't know how to feel about that.

"Well if you're sure you want to," he said with a shrug.

"I want to," she stated.

"Around noon then."

"Perfect," she said.

They sat in an easy silence for the rest of the ride. When they got to the cabin and got inside, he offered her a soda, which she took with an amused grin.

"I thought you only kept booze here." she said, raising an eyebrow.

He shrugged meekly. "I went shoppin'."

"Oh, how domestic!" she quipped.

He frowned. "Just drink you're damn soda," he ordered, and disappeared into his bedroom. He wasn't looking at her, but he just knew that she was probably grinning ear to ear.

A moment later he reappeared carrying a beat up laptop that had clearly seen better days, and a DVD that contained so many scratches he was surprised that it still worked. He directed Beth to take a seat on the couch, and he settled in beside her.

"Wow. That thing is a dinosaur," she commented, looking down at it in amazement. She took it out of his hands so that she could get a better look. "Is this literally the first laptop ever made? Did cavemen use this? Wait, is that a bullet hole?" She said turning it over in a close examination.

He snatched the computer out of her hands and fixed her with a pointed glare. "No."

She held up her hands as if she were surrendering. "Okay, sorry. Jeez."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye as he pressed the on button, the corner of his mouth tugging up.

"So what are we watching?" she asked.

He held up the scratched disc so she could see.

"_Cast Away_?" she said impressed. "I didn't peg this as being your genre. I saw you as more of an action explosion guy."

He slid the disc into the tray, and watched as it loaded up.

"Seems nice is all," he said. "Bein' on an island all alone with no one to bother you. Gettin' away from it all."

"Even me?" she said in mock offense.

He smirked. "You can come visit I guess."

She placed a hand over her heart. "I am honored."

"Should be," he joked. "Now shut your mouth. Movies startin'."

She eyed him playfully, and then directed her attention to the screen. As the movie began, they both settled in and got comfortable. Daryl stretched his arm across the back of the couch, taking care not to touch her. It was almost as if he had his arm around her, but without any of the contact. It was nice being like this with Beth. He was happier than he'd been in a long time. He felt peaceful.

They were about halfway through the movie when that peace was broken. Suddenly, Merle came busting through the door. The pair looked up, startled at his abrupt entrance.

"What the hell are you doin' man?" Daryl barked at him.

He looked down at them. His eyes were wild. He looked like he'd been running. That made Daryl nervous. Merle never ran unless he was trying to get away from someone or something.

"Sorry to break up date night, but he's right behind me," he panted, out of breath.

Daryl tensed, and then he glanced down at Beth who was looking at him in confusion.

"Who's right behind you?" Daryl asked.

"Martinez."

Daryl went cold. "Shit I thought you were taking care of that!" he growled.

"Well it obviously didn't go as planned!" Merle shot back.

"Well why the hell did you lead him here?"

"I didn't know _she'd_ be here!" he said gesturing to Beth.

Daryl got up abruptly and pulled Beth to her feet beside him. He had one thing on his mine right then, and that was making sure that she stayed safe.

"Beth, go into my room and do not come out until I come and get you. Do you understand?" he said looking into her eyes intently.

She nodded, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. Daryl could tell she had a lot of questions, but there was no time to answer them now. However, before she even had the chance to move from her spot beside him, the door banged open again.

Daryl looked up at locked eyes with the intruder. Martinez stood in the doorway of the cabin. He had a gun holstered at his waist, and a machete gripped in his hand.

"Why don't you all stay?" Martinez said. A wicked smile worked its way across his lips.

They were out of time.

**AN: So sorry for the delay! Good news though, the semester is over! Yay! Expect more frequent updates from here on. Anyway, thank you all again for your support. It really means the world. Writing the scene with Hershel made me sad, god I miss him. The next chapter is an important one for more than one reason, just you all wait! It's written already, but it needs some sprucing before I post it. Until next time! Thanks again!**


	12. Chapter 12

Martinez stepped through the front door, and closed it behind himself. He moved leisurely, faintly humming to himself as he went. Daryl stepped in front of Beth protectively, using his body to block her from Martinez's view.

"We don't want any trouble," Daryl said roughly.

Martinez looked up at him, and smiled as he slowly nodded. "Well here's the thing. You might not want any trouble, but your brother here does. He decided that once he chose not to pay me the money he owes me." He began taking slow steps toward them, swinging his machete as he spoke. "Then he has the balls to come to me and ask for an extension?" He laughed menacingly. "I don't think so."

"C'mon man, I'm sure we can work something out," Merle said with a weak chuckle.

Daryl ground his teeth. That was so like his brother, always trying to make everything a joke. This was in no way a joke. Daryl knew about Martinez, and nothing about what was happening right now was funny. The man was insane. He could be fine and joking around with you one minute, and then the next he's stabbing you in the back. Literally. Daryl had warned Merle not to get involved with him, and now here they were. He wasn't concerned about himself really, or Merle for that matter. The only thing he was concerned about was Beth's safety. Martinez had a bad reputation for violence, but also for how he treated women. Daryl wasn't going to let anything happen to her. He'd die first.

Martinez pointed his machete directly at Merle's face. It sat a mere six inches from his nose.

"I want my money now, or ill start chopping off all the bits that stick out."

Merle's fake smile faltered. "Well I don't have it, but—" he stammered.

"No!" Martinez yelled, interrupting him. Daryl could see the spit flying out of his mouth.

"I got some of it," Daryl said, staying firmly in place in front of Beth.

Martinez swung around to face him, now the blade was pointing at his face. Daryl could feel Beth jerk back in surprise behind him.

"Yeah, that so? How much you got?" he asked.

"I got about four hundred," Daryl stated.

Martinez looked at him wide-eyed, and cocked his head to the side. "Four hundred? That's chump change my friend, and that ain't gonna cut it." Daryl could feel Beth's fingers digging into his back. "Looks like I'm gonna have to start chopping bits off."

He turned back to Merle, and ran the blade of his machete lightly over his cheek. Daryl heard his brother breathe in sharply when the cool metal touched his face. Daryl was about to protest, when he heard Beth speak up.

"Wait!" she cried, popping out from behind him.

Daryl swiveled around to gape at her. What the hell was she thinking? This guy wasn't the type that you could just reason with; she was way out of her league here. She was going to get herself hurt, and it would be all Daryl's fault for bringing her into the situation. While he may not have intended for her to end up in this situation, he knew what kind of person his brother was, what kind of person _he_ was. He never should have allowed himself to let her into his life. It wasn't safe for her. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if she got hurt. He wanted to just throw her over his shoulder and make a run for it, but he knew that would never work. They were trapped in here with this psychopath until Daryl could find a way to get them out.

"Who do we got here?" Martinez said, turning to leer at Beth. He looked her up and down, and then licked his lips. Daryl wanted to punch that look off his face.

"Name's Beth," she said with a giggle. "And you are?"

Daryl stared at her wide-eyed. _What the hell was she doing?_ He wanted to tell her to shut her fucking mouth and stay behind him, stay safe, but he was too afraid of risking setting Martinez off. So instead he decided to stay silent, and prepared himself to be able to defend her if it came down to it. He hoped to god that she knew what she was doing.

"Name's Caesar, but most people call me by my last name, Martinez." He fixed her with a wicked stare.

"Is that so?" she said. "Well I think Caesar suits you."

He smirked at her. "If you don't mind me asking, what's a pretty thing like you doing here with these too?"

Daryl tensed all over. He wanted to kill him.

Beth smiled coyly, and Daryl felt her slide an arm around his waist. He didn't know what she was doing, but he followed her lead and pulled her to him protectively, glaring at Martinez the entire time.

"Oh, you know," she said with a shrug and a wicked smile.

Martinez nodded knowingly. "Oh, I get it. You two are together. Well darling, if you're ever looking for a real man, I'm right here," he said gesturing to himself cockily.

Daryl_ really_ wanted to kill him.

Beth laughed flirtatiously. "Thank you for the offer, but I assure you that I am_ quite_ satisfied."

He knew that she was just pretending, but Daryl felt himself go hot all over from her words. If they were in any other situation, he didn't know if he'd be able to restrain himself like he had been, not when she was talking like that.

Martinez grinned. "You're a feisty one. You're a lucky man, Dixon," he said pointing his Machete back at Daryl. But this time it wasn't in a menacing way, but more as a way of acknowledgement.

"That he is," Beth agreed. "Changing the subject though, I think I may have a solution to our little predicament here."

"Yeah?" Martinez said, looking at her in interest. "And what would that be?"

"Well if you ask me, violence isn't the way to go about this," she said simply.

Martinez laughed. "You women, always against violence, and why is that darling?"

Daryl's glare hardened when he called her that.

"Why would you give up the chance at free labor? Have Merle come and work for you until he pays off his debt. That way you both win. You get your money's worth, and Merle gets to keep all his . . . parts."  
Daryl was shocked. She was smart, he would give her that. And she was playing Martinez like a fiddle. If he was being honest, he'd have to admit that he'd never been more attracted to her then at this precise moment.

Martinez thought it over for a long, tense moment. Daryl held his breath. Finally, he began to nod.

"You know, that just might work. _I am_ short staffed recently. One of my others guys got a . . . work related injury. You're one smart chick." He pointed at her and nodded. "You got one smart chick," he said, turning to look at Daryl. "You should try and hang on to this one."

Daryl nodded curtly. "Yeah, I do. So we good?"

"Well, I don't know. Are we good Merle?" Martinez turned now to look at Merle.

Daryl shot his brother a look, silently letting him know that he better say that they were good. Daryl didn't really feel right about letting his brother go to work with this guy, but it was their only option. At least until they figured something else out.

Merle nodded vigorously. "All good with me." He wasn't stupid. He knew a way to save his own skin when he saw one, and Beth had provided it for him.

Martinez slipped the machete into a sheath on his waist, and clasped his hands together.

"Great! So it's all settled!" he said happily. "I'm so glad we were able to work this out, and it didn't end in blood. I hate when things get messy."

"So am I, boss," Merle agreed readily.

"I should keep you around for all my negotiations," he said to Beth with a smirk. Then he threw an arm around Merle's shoulder. "Let's go man. We got a lot to discuss." He led him toward the door. "See you later, Daryl. And Beth, if you tire of this guy, come and find me." He winked at her, and exited the cabin with Merle in tow.

Daryl stayed completely still until he heard their car roar to life and drive away. Only when he was completely certain that they were alone did he turn to Beth. He had no idea what he must have looked like, but whatever it was it was her could tell it was scaring her. She held up her hands and backed away from him.

"Don't be mad," she begged. "I just couldn't let him hurt you!"

Before he could even process what he was doing, he surged forward, pressing her up against the cabin wall and kissing her roughly. Everything he'd been keeping locked away was suddenly spilling out. All the attraction he'd been desperately trying to push down came pulsing out of him all at once. She was still against his lips at first, but then suddenly began kissing him back with equal enthusiasm. He had one arm propped on the wall behind her head, and the other wrapped tightly around her back. After a few moments he pulled back panting. She was out of breath as well.

"You were so fucking hott back there," he said with his mouth inches from hers, his hot breath tickling her cheek.

Then their lips met, and they were kissing again.

XXX

As Beth watched Martinez and Merle exit the cabin, she braced herself. She knew Daryl was bound to be furious with her for putting herself in danger, but she couldn't help it. Once Martinez had pointed his blade at Daryl, she knew that she had to do something. She couldn't just stand by idly and watch him get hurt. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was launching herself into the fray, and using the two things she had going for her to her advantage, her wit and her looks. Much to her satisfaction, it had worked.

When Daryl finally did look at her, she almost gasped. His eyes were wild. He looked like a wild animal. She didn't think that he would actually hurt her, but she backed up on reflex anyway. When he crushed her against the wall and kissed her, she was surprised to say the least. She was so surprised in fact, that for a moment she stood frozen in shock. Then she got her wits back, and kissed him back like mad. He had her pinned against the wall, and she could feel his fingers digging into her spine. She couldn't believe it was actually happening, after her telling herself over and over again that he didn't feel the same way, and now here they were. After a few moments he broke the kiss, and she worried that the spell may have been broken. That maybe it was just a lapse of judgment on his part, and that he'd made a mistake. But then he leaned in close to her cheek, and spoke with his hot breath brushing against her skin.

"You were so fucking hott back there."

That was all she needed to hear. Then, they dove back into the kiss with equal force and enthusiasm. Somehow, they ended up on the couch. It involved a lot of stumbling, seeing as they refused to break apart. Now Beth was pressed firmly on top of him. They kept kissing for a long while, but it didn't further than that. Daryl's hands stayed above her waist at all times, only exploring her back, and finally working their way into her hair. She knew they weren't ready for anything more than that. Not yet at least. When they finally did break apart, Beth stayed lying on top of him. He had a hand on her back, while he lightly stroked her spine. They stayed like that for a long time in silence. It was nice.

After a long while, Daryl finally spoke.

"I shouldn't have done that," he said in a low, gravelly voice.

Beth's heart started to hammer in her chest. That was the last thing that she wanted to hear at the moment. Not when she had been so happy. She slowly picked up her head so she could look at him.

"What, why?" she asked in confusion.

"You're too good." He refused to meet her eyes. "Too good for me."

She took his chin in her hand, and forced him to meet her eyes. "That's not true," she stated soothingly.

His gaze on her was intense. "Yeah, it is. You don' know."

"Daryl, I'm not some kind of angel, and I'm not too good for you."

"You might as well be," he said softly.

"You need to start believing that you deserve good things. Because you do," she said firmly, and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his lips. "Okay?"

He hummed quietly, but otherwise stayed silent. She placed her head back on his chest.

"Don't shut me out," she begged in a quiet voice. "Please."

He was quiet for a long time. She could feel her eyelids starting to grow heavy. The weight of the day was finally taking its toll on her. She was exhausted.

"I won'," he agreed finally. His voice was barely above a whisper.

She sighed happily. "Thank you," she whispered, and then let sleep take her.

**AN: WHHAAAAAT two chapters in two days? What is this! This was a big one guys, they finally made it! Thank you all for sticking with this up until now! There is much, much more to come. So get ready everybody. Thanks again, I love writing this story, and I love hearing what you all have to say about it. All your reactions make me smile, I really appreciate every single one. Until next time!**


	13. Chapter 13

The next morning Daryl woke up alone on the couch. When he realized that Beth was missing, he sat up so quickly that his head began to spin. His eyes darted around the room, every possible bad scenario flashing through his mind, before he heard Beth's quiet singing coming from the tiny kitchen. He wanted to smack himself for being so paranoid, but after the actual danger he had put her in the night before with Martinez, he really couldn't blame himself for being worried. He rubbed his eyes groggily, before pulling himself off the couch, and heading back to the kitchen area to join Beth.

She was standing in front of the stove, having just boiled a pot of water, and signing to herself softly as she poured the steaming water into two waiting mugs. Daryl leaned against the doorframe to watch her. She was wearing the clothes she'd had on the day before, but she'd abandoned her shoes, so she was standing barefoot on the linoleum floor. Her thick blonde hair was piled on top of her head. She was singing a song that Daryl didn't know, but he couldn't care less, because as he listened Daryl discovered that she had a beautiful singing voice. It was something he hadn't known about her before, and he stood transfixed by the sound of her voice. She could probably sing the phone book, and he would listen like it was the most gorgeous thing he'd ever heard, because it would be.

He was still reeling from what had happened the night before. He kissed her, and she'd kissed him back. This girl, this beautiful girl, was interested in him, Daryl Dixon. It was surreal. Good things generally didn't happen to him, and she was a good thing. He'd stayed up long after she had fallen asleep on him just thinking. This was new and unexplored territory for him, and he didn't know how to go forward now.

He'd never felt like this about anyone before, especially not someone like Beth. He'd been content before to just ignore his feelings, but that wasn't an option anymore. He had felt himself beginning to shut down, the guilt of acting on his feelings weighing down on him. He was overwhelmed, and he wanted to just run. He wanted to disappear into the woods, and shove down all the things that he was feeling. He had tried to tell her that it had been a mistake, but Beth had seen through that. She talked him off the ledge. He wasn't sure that he'd believed her words, or that he deserved good things, but when she begged him not to shut her out there was no way he could deny her. So he didn't, he stayed. Quite frankly, it scared the shit out of him. He didn't know how to act anymore. It was hard for Daryl to let anyone in like he'd started letting Beth in, but he trusted her, and he was going to try not to push her away. Even if it killed him.

He stood watching her for a few moments, and he considered clearing his throat and alerting her to his presence, but decided against it. He didn't want to ruin this moment, he was perfectly content just standing there and watching her. She just seemed so _alive_. That realization made him remember the very real danger he had put her in the night before with Martinez. One wrong move and she could have gotten hurt, or worse. Watching her like this now, Daryl couldn't even stomach the thought. If the circumstances were different, he would have just put a halt to their relationship altogether, but after what had happened between them the night before he knew that that was no longer an option. She'd never stand for that now, and Daryl didn't know if he could handle it either. It wasn't something that could be ignored though, and would have to be addressed eventually. Even if it popped their happy little bubble.

She finished stirring the instant coffee into the hot water, and lifted the mugs up gingerly, as if not to spill them, and began to turn around slowly. When she spotted Daryl in the doorway she gasped, and nearly spilled the hot liquid onto herself.

"Daryl!" she cried, turning to put the mugs back on the counter. "You scared me! I was going to surprise you with coffee." She began to move across the room towards him. She stopped in front of him, and pouted. "You ruined it."

"Sorry," he mumbled, smiling at her softly.

"I guess I can forgive you," she said, snaking her arms around his neck.

"Well that's a relief," he murmured, pulling her to him.

"We still good? After last night I mean?" she asked. She was gazing up at him with those big blue eyes, and it was making it hard for him to concentrate.

"Yeah," he hummed. "We're good."

"Good."

She grinned before beginning to move toward him. He did the same, closing the distance, and pressed his lips to hers. This kiss was unlike the one from the night before. It wasn't heated like that one had been. This time the kiss was soft and sweet. It only lasted for a moment, but that was enough. He didn't want to rush things with her. This was all so new for him, and the threat of him messing things up was all too real. He pulled back, and she was looking at him with those big blue eyes and smiling.

"This is still so weird," she said with a laugh.

He nodded. "You're tellin' me."

"But a good weird," she elaborated.

"A good weird," he agreed.

They stood and stared at it each other for a moment, basking in complete strangeness that was their new situation. It was wonderful.

"Listen, I uh, think we should talk about last night," Daryl said after a moment, adopting a more serious tone.

She looked up at him intently. "What about it?" she asked.

He frowned. "What happened with Martinez, I really don' like that I put you in that situation. You could have gotten hurt and that would have been on me."

She sighed. "Alright, we can talk about it. Let me get the coffees, and I'll meet you in the living room, okay?"

He nodded, and retreated back to the couch. A moment later she was pressing a warm mug into his hand, and settling down next to him. She left a few inches of space between them, which Daryl appreciated. The distance would help him concentrate. He took a small sip of his coffee, testing out the temperature. It was still too hot to drink.

"Listen, Daryl," she said commanding his attention, "about what happened with Martinez, that wasn't your fault. Nothing bad ended up happening, and I'm okay. There's no use worrying about it, okay? Don't beat yourself up over it."

Daryl looked down at his lap. He took a deep breath before speaking. "I know nothin' happened, but somethin' could have," he said. "I just don' want you to get hurt. I . . . I care about you."

Those words were hard for him to get out, but he knew that after everything she needed to hear them. And frankly, he needed to say them. She reached over to take his hand in her own. He forced himself to look at her, and she was smiling at him softly.

"I care about you too," she said.

Her words caused his pulse to quicken. After telling himself again and again that she could never possibly feel the same way, here they were. He looked down at their intertwined hands, and ran his thumb lightly over her wrist. It was then that he noticed the light purple bruises that were poking out from under the bracelets she was wearing. He felt his gut clench in anger at that punk ex-boyfriend of hers. Beth had noticed that his hand had tensed, and followed his gaze to her wrist.

"I wanna kill that kid for doin' this to you," Daryl said, and clenched his jaw.

"They're just bruises," she reminded him quietly. "They'll fade."

"He better hope I don' see him again," Daryl said in reply.

Beth patted his hand, before pulling hers away gently. "Tough guy," she said with a soft smile.

He gave her a look, before taking another small sip of his coffee. It had cooled slightly, and he could now drink it without burning his mouth. They were both quiet for a moment, processing their new situation.

"I think we should talk about what you're going to do about Martinez now though," Beth said, breaking the silence.

Daryl looked up at her. "What do you mean?" he asked furrowing his brow.

"You said it yourself, he's unstable. You really want your brother working for him? I figured that would just be a quick fix until we could get a real plan."

Daryl didn't know how he felt about her using the word _'we'_ to describe the situation. He didn't want her involved with any of it, but it was too late for that now.

He sighed. "I know, but what else can we do? Merle's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

"Doesn't seem like he's done a great job so far," she pointed out.

Daryl had to agree. He sighed deeply, and rubbed his face.

"You could leave, like you planned originally," she offered. "Once you finish fixing up the truck, I mean. I'm sure Dale would understand."

He looked into her eyes, and could tell that it pained her to be saying that. She didn't want him to leave town, but she was putting his safety before her own feelings.

He stared unwaveringly into her eyes as he spoke. "I really don' want to do that anymore."

He hoped that she felt the weight of the words as he said them, because he certainly did. He wasn't exactly sure what deeper meaning his words held, but he had a hunch, and it scared the crap out of him.

Beth stared at him for a long moment, absorbing his words. "Oh," she said finally. "Okay. We'll have to figure something else out then."

"Yeah," he said still not taking his eyes off of her. "I'll talk to Merle later today after we get back from the shop, see how today went. Then we can take it from there."

"Good idea," she said, staring back. They were locked in another one of their staring contests.

"Mhm," he hummed. After another moment, she finally broke. She looked away, and laughed easily.

"Well," she said standing up, "finish up your coffee, and we'll head over to the shop. Car's not gonna fix itself, now is it?"

He nodded his agreement, and she disappeared into the bathroom to freshen up. Daryl watched as she went, a small smile playing on his lips. He shook his head slightly at the absurdness of the situation yet again, and chuckled as he took another sip of his coffee.

**AN: Just some general notes I want to address. 1. I chose to make Martinez the bad guy not because I didn't like him in the show, quite the opposite actually. I really liked his character, but I REALLY hate the Governor. Therefore, when I was mapping out the story I was like 'you know what fuck the governor he's not being in my story'. So Martinez may be OOC, but oh well, he's supposed to have lost his mind. Okay, 2. Not gonna lie, I got kinda lost writing this chapter. It took me a while, and a whole lot of rewriting to work out what I wanted to happen. I was getting frustrated and was thinking that maybe the muse had died when Beth and Daryl kissed, but fear not, I worked through it and I am satisfied with what I came up with. Sorry this chapter is short, but it was a hard one to get out. Thank you all so much again for sticking with me. Until next time!**


	14. Chapter 14

"Pass me that socket wrench?" Daryl requested, from his hunched over position under the hood of his soon-to-be-running truck.

Beth was lounging in the front seat of the pickup, with the door propped open, and one of her legs stretched out of the open window, casually flipping through a textbook. She placed the textbook face down on the passenger seat, and climbed out of the car. Then she skipped over to the pile of tools spread across the ground by Daryl's feet, and retrieved the proper one. She slid up behind him, and pressed a kiss to the back of his neck as she pressed it into his hand. He felt heat inching up his neck to where her lips had touched, and blushed scarlet.

"Thank you," he mumbled awkwardly, and then focused his attention back to the safety of his work.

She smirked playfully at his uneasiness, and then walked back around the car to return to her perch, and her studying.

It had been like this for the past few hours; Daryl worked on the car, while Beth did her schoolwork. Every so often he would request her help for a moment, either handing him a tool that he needed, or holding something in place. Then after she was done assisting him, she would kiss him or trace her fingers along his skin, setting his insides on fire.

It was all so new, and yet at the same time it didn't feel like it. It felt normal. But it wasn't. It was the farthest thing from normal that he'd ever known. He would respond to all of this by doing something awkward, and she would just laugh. He was out of his comfort zone, and they both knew it. He'd never experienced attraction or tenderness like this before, and although she had done her best to assure him, he was still nervous as hell. However, he wasn't uncomfortable because he didn't like the contact, quite the opposite actually.

So far while they'd been here at the shop, they'd sat in relative silence. Beth studied, and Daryl worked on the car. Every now and then one of them would say something and the other would reply, and then they would fall back into an easy silence, just the background noise of the radio to fill the quiet. Daryl had to admit that it was nice. It all just felt so _natural. _Like they were meant to be right here, right now. Together. They didn't speak again for about a half an hour, when Beth walked up beside him again.

"How's she coming?" she asked, peering over his shoulder to examine the new engine he'd just finished installing.

"Pretty good," he replied. "I think we can call it a day. I'll finish the other stuff later."

The sun was beginning to set. They hadn't made it over to the shop until around one, seeing as they'd slept in, and then had their talk before leaving the cabin. They hadn't eaten yet today either, thoughts of their hunger eclipsed by more pressing matters. Daryl was starving. As if on cue, his stomach began to growl.

"Okay, we can come back tomorrow if you want. I don't have anything going on," she replied.

He shook his head. "Nah, this was the time consumin' part. The other stuff is simple. I can just finish it on my lunch break on Monday."

"You sure?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said with a nod.

"You're probably just sick of hanging out with me all the time, and this is your way of letting me down easy," she said facetiously.

He frowned, and bumped her shoulder. "Stop, you know that ain't it."

She grinned at his initiated contact. "I know. I'm great company," she said, and jokingly flipped her hair. Then she bent down to start gathering up the tools Daryl had been using.

Daryl smirked and shook his head, and then bent down to help her as she placed them back into the tool box at their feet. They finished quickly, and Daryl locked up. Then they were back in Beth's car, staring out the windshield. Daryl didn't want to leave her, but he also didn't want to be the one to ask if she wanted to keep hanging out. If anything, _she_ was probably getting sick of _him_.

"So, where to, Mr. Dixon? You itching to get away from me yet, or are you thinking dinner?" she asked him with a crooked grin.

He tried to hide a smile. "I could eat," he agreed with a nod.

"Off to the diner then?" she asked, pulling out of the lot.

"Sounds good to me."

A few minutes later they were there, and seated at their usual table. When the elderly waitress came over to take their orders, she greeted them warmly. Daryl even recognized her, and found he had remembered her name from the last time they'd been here. It was then that he realized that he may have been becoming a regular. He and Beth had come here numerous times over the past week, and the staff was starting to remember him, and vice versa. They already knew Beth, she'd grown up in this town. It probably didn't faze her at all, knowing everyone and everything about them. But it was strange for him. He'd never been a regular anywhere before, he'd never stayed in on place long enough. He kind of liked it.

Instead of their usual breakfast foods, the pair ordered burgers and sodas. Their waitress took their orders, promising they'd be out in a few moments, and disappeared into the kitchen.

After she walked away Daryl found himself staring at Beth, and wondering again what the hell she was doing with him, something he'd found himself doing a lot lately. She was staring down at her hand, and picking at her nail polish, a small pile of light blue flakes beginning to form on the table. She was humming a song Daryl didn't recognize softly under her breath. She wasn't doing anything special, and yet he found himself absorbed in her every movement. Everything she did just made her seem so alive, so vibrant. She was so young, still in school even. Daryl couldn't help but recognize that they came from two different worlds. He realized then that he had no idea what she was studying to be. That seemed like it would be a pretty big part of who she was as a person, and something he should know.

"So did you get a lot of studyin' done today?" Daryl asked.

Beth sighed and rubbed her forehead. "No, not really, and that's bad because I have a big assignment due this week."

"Oh, why not?" he asked.

She gave him a quick once over, and then smirked. "I don't know. I guess I was a bit distracted."

He could feel heat beginning to rise to his cheeks. "Do you wanna cut this short so you can go home and work on it?" he asked.

He knew that her studies were important, but he hoped that she would say no. If he went home, then he would have to deal with Merle. He would have to ask him how things went today with Martinez, and if his answer wasn't something Daryl wanted to hear, then he would have to do something about it. He'd been trying not to think about it all day. All he wanted to do was bask in the afterglow of what had happened between him and Beth, but once he went home, his reality would become a threat to his happiness. Daryl knew though, no matter what, his number one priority was keeping this beautiful girl sitting across from him safe. He would do whatever it took to keep her safe, even if he was hurt in the process.

Much to his relief, she shook her head.

"No that's okay. I'll just work on it all day tomorrow."

"Alrigh'," he said, and then paused. "What are you studyin' in school anyway?"

"My major is sociology," she told him.

"So what do you plan on doin' with that? Counselor or somethin'?"

She propped her elbow up on the table, and rested her face in her palm. "I want to be a social worker, but I'm not sure what kind of people I want to work with yet. We'll see."

He cocked his head. "So you wanna work with fucked up people for a livin'?"

He couldn't see why anyone would want to do that. His whole life had been filled with fucked up people, and he didn't want anything to do with them.

She shrugged. "I've always liked helping people."

He pursed his lips and nodded thoughtfully. Somehow, rarely anything that came out of this girl's mouth disappointed him. "That's real noble of you," he noted.

She smiled. "Thank you. That's not usually the reaction I get."

The waitress came, interrupting them, and delivered their food. They began eating immediately.

"Why?" he asked, after taking his first bite.

She shrugged. "My family always thought I'd follow in my daddy's footsteps, and become a vet." She took her own bite. "Or a doctor."

"Ain't their life," Daryl said simply.

Beth smiled. "That's right. It's okay now though. My dad accepts that I can forge my own path, but it was a bit of a disappointment for him at first. Maggie didn't go to college, so even though she helps out she isn't a trained vet. He was hoping I'd be able to take over the clinic for him."

"Wanted you to run the family business," he said with a nod. "I know how that is."

She cocked her head. "Yeah?"

He nodded. "Mhm. My daddy ran an auto repair shop. Wanted me to take it over for him. As you can see, that didn't happen."

She looked at him with interest. "Any reason why?" she asked. Then quickly added, "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," after she saw his expression turn grim.

He trusted her, he did, but he wasn't ready to tell her this. That was something for a different time, if at all.

He tried to sound nonchalant. "Things just didn't work out the way either of us would have liked."

She nodded in understanding, but she could never truly understand. She'd come from a privileged background. Her father had probably never laid a hand on her. He probably told her that he loved her often, and gave her plenty of hugs. Daryl hadn't known anything like that, not after his mom died. He wouldn't hold that against her though, he knew that her intentions were pure.

"Everything happens for a reason," she said sincerely.

He looked at her tenderly, considering all the things that had to occur to bring this girl into his life.

"I think you're right," he told her.

**AN: Sorry the chapter is kind of short again. I needed to deal with the aftermath of their kiss, and solidify their standing/reactions to one another. Things are going to be starting to pick up now. I'm excited to start writing them! Thanks so much again, and until next time!**


	15. Chapter 15

After Beth dropped Daryl off that night, he was full of nervous energy. He was too wound up to go to sleep, there was too much on his mind. So instead, he elected to wait up for Merle. It had been close to nine o' clock when Beth had dropped him off, and Daryl was now staring at the clock mounted on the wall as it clicked to midnight. He was annoyed, to say the least. It was one thing for his brother to disregard his texts, that he was used to. Merle rarely remembered to bring his phone with him anywhere, and even when he did have it, it was usually dead. But for him to disappear last night with Martinez to god knows where, and not even drop Daryl a line to let him know he was still alive and not in fact murdered by a psycho, was honestly just rude. That was Merle though, and Daryl had grown used to this behavior. His brother rarely thought of how his actions affected others.

With nothing else to do besides wait, Daryl found his thoughts drifting back to Beth—to her soft smile, her bubbly laughter, her _lips_. The lips that Daryl had just been kissing not too long ago. It was like he was living in a dream. In the back of his mind he was aware that he was acting like a little bitch; a love struck teenager even. But he couldn't bring himself to care. Good things rarely happened to him, and he considered now that maybe every good thing that should have happened to him in his life was being stockpiled, saved and stored up, all building up to this. To her. He didn't want to get ahead of himself though; it was all still too fresh, too fragile. But it was hard not to. In the past, if Daryl found something that he liked, he'd hang onto it for dear life. It had been just material things in the past; his favorite vest with angel wings stitched into the back, his crossbow, his mother's locket. Beth was a person, but it was the same idea. He had found something he liked, and he intended to hold onto her. For dear life if he had to. He might even go out on a limb and admit that this was the happiest he'd ever been. That was, if it wasn't for the drama surrounding his brother. Actually, scratch that. This was the happiest Daryl had ever been, Merle drama and all.

From his place on the worn sofa, Daryl watched as headlights passed over the window. He'd been sitting here for the past hour, having run out of things to busy himself with around the cabin. He'd considered opening a bottle of jack to keep him company, but ultimately decided against it, realizing that it would be wiser to be sober when it was time to deal with Merle. His desire to limit his consumption of booze and tobacco for Beth hovered at the back of his mind. He had noticed his cravings had lessened in the last day or so, and Beth was no doubt the cause. He didn't want to numb himself to the world anymore.

He heard a car door slam shut, followed by some hooting and hollering. A moment later, Merle came crashing through the front door, slamming the screen hard against the wall. Daryl could tell immediately that he was loaded. It took Merle a moment to notice his presence in the room. His eyes were glazed over, and he stared a Daryl for a few seconds before recognition spread over his features.

"Baby brother!" he cried, taking a few stumbling steps forward. He almost lost his balance, and had to brace himself against the wall. Daryl made no move to help him.

"Where the hell have you been?" he said, doing his best to keep his tone level.

Merle gave him a lazy smile. "You know," he said waggling his eyebrows, "havin' a good time."

Daryl's stony expression began to crack. "What the hell happened last night after you left with Martinez? I haven't heard from you in a day."

Merle made him way over to the couch on unsteady legs, and threw himself down next to Daryl. He reeked of booze, cheap perfume, and god knows what else.

"Martinez brought me back to home base, and introduced me to the boys," he slurred. Then he grinned broadly. "Showed me a real warm welcome. He's not such a bad guy after all."

Daryl knit his eyebrows together. "Are you forgettin' that yesterday he wanted your blood?"

Merle waved him off. "Bygones."

Daryl grimaced in annoyance. His brother obviously wasn't taking this as seriously as he was.

"So, what everything's okay now? You two are good?"

Merle's head lolled back on the couch. He smirked. "More than good. He's got some good shit baby brother, let me tell you. His personal stash is _even better_ than the stuff he's pushing. I could get used to this."

Daryl frowned. He hated his brother's drug use, especially when he was like this. But he dealt with it, because Merle was blood. He was the only family that had ever stuck by him, so Daryl would stick by him in return. Even if his brother was an obnoxious, aggravating prick sometimes. He was still his brother.

Daryl heaved himself off the couch, finally ready for bed. He patted his brother's knee. "Alright, go sleep it off," he told him. However, he found that he was already asleep. His head was inclined backwards at what couldn't possibly be a comfortable position.

Daryl shook his head tiredly and headed back to his room, leaving his brother asleep on the couch. Maybe waking up with a stiff neck would teach him a lesson. But he highly doubted it. He was set in his ways. Daryl couldn't think of anything that could possibly ever change him.

He plopped down on his bed, and fished his phone out of his pocket. He sighed and rubbed his chin as he thought about texting Beth to let her know about Merle and Martinez. However, one look at the time told him that it was way too late to be sending her any messages. If she was asleep he didn't want to wake her up. He placed the phone on the bedside table, and got under the covers. He was out like a light before his head even hit the pillow.

XXX

The next morning Daryl woke up around noon. He didn't usually sleep so late, his internal clock usually waking him up with the sun being used to all his time hunting, but he also hadn't gone to bed until early that morning. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes groggily. Then he stood up on stiff legs and slowly, making sure to grab his phone, made his way into the kitchen for some coffee. As the water boiled, he composed a text to Beth, letting her know about the new developments with Merle. She replied just as the kettle began to whistle. The sound vaguely reminded Daryl of a train horn.

She let him know that she was happy that Merle was able to work things out, and still has all of his body parts. Daryl smiled at her joke, and replied saying that he could maybe afford to lose some. Maybe it would humble him up at bit.

_That's not nice!_ Her next text read. _Changing the subject, any big plans for today? _

_Nope. Lazy day I guess._ He replied.

_Lucky! I have tons of work to do. _

_That's what you get for procrastinating. Talk later? _He typed back to her.

She responded quickly in agreement, and he slid his phone back into his pocket.

He finished making his coffee and wandered into the living room, finding Merle was no longer on the couch. Daryl assumed that he must have woken up at some point and stumbled back to his own room. It was normal for him to sleep this late, so Daryl took a seat on the sofa and drank his coffee while he waited for Merle to wake up. It had been a few days since he'd spent any real time with his brother, and he figured that was what he would do today since Beth was busy. He didn't know what they'd do, but they would undoubtedly figure something out. Merle always did. Maybe they would go hang out at the bar. That was what they did usually.

Finally, a half an hour after he finished his cup of coffee, Daryl was tired of waiting. He went back into the kitchen and rinsed out his cup, before making his way to Merle's room. He threw the door open without knocking, and realized he'd been waiting in vain. His brother's room was empty, and his bed was unslept in. He wasn't even there at all. Daryl frowned deeply. What the hell was he supposed to do now? He didn't have a car to go anywhere, and the thought of just sitting around the cabin all day made him want to pull his hair out.

One look at the clock told him that it was just after one p.m. He scratched his head as he thought. It was a bit too late to go hunting, especially if he actually wanting to catch anything. At this point, he wouldn't have enough time to track anything. If he even encountered an animal it would be pure luck. No matter, he decided. It wasn't the act of hunting that pleased him so much, but rather the experience. Being alone among the trees and the animals was almost a religious experience for him. At least as close to religious as he got seeing as he'd never attended a day of church in his life.

He jogged back into his room to grab his crossbow, pulled on his boots, and was out the door and disappearing into the tree line mere moments after deciding what he wanted to do. Now that he had a plan he didn't want to waste anymore daylight. He only had a few hours left before the sun would start to set. Once he was within the trees he surprisingly picked up a trail quickly, a deer's most likely. It appeared to be somewhat fresh, most likely from the morning. He began to follow it, and slipped fully into his element. Within the forest was where he could really break down and be himself. It was where he felt most alive. The only sounds around him were those of nature, none of the annoying noises from daily life. He didn't even really think while he was out here, just became one with nature, absorbed in the hunt. He loved it. However, he did have the passing thought that maybe one day he'd bring Beth out here with him. It might have been something she was interested in, and he'd have to bring it up with her at some point.

A few hours later, and he still hadn't found that deer. He wasn't bothered though. That wasn't what it was about, not really. Especially now that he had steady paycheck coming in, he didn't need to hunt to live. For the first time in a while he could afford to feed himself and Merle regularly. Therefore, he could let the animals be.

It was just after sundown as he was nearing the house. As he broke the tree line, he spotted a dark van pull up in front of the cabin. A moment later he watched Merle climb out of the passenger seat. He could see his brother conversing with the driver, and nodding his head seriously. Daryl, having not been spotted, looked on in interest. He rarely ever saw his brother act serious. It was strange. A few moments later the car drove off, and Merle began heading toward the house. He had a dark blue duffle bag gripped tightly in his hand. Daryl began walking towards the door as well, moving swiftly to catch up with him.

"What's in the bag?" Daryl asked sliding up behind him.

Merle hadn't seen him approach and swung around, swinging the duffle bag wildly as he went. He relaxed visibly when he saw Daryl.

"Oh, baby brother. You scared me," he said with a laugh.

"What's in the bag?" he repeated. He had his crossbow thrown over his shoulder, and he was studying his brother intently.

Merle smiled almost sheepishly, and pushed his way into the cabin. Daryl followed closely behind him. It was drugs. He knew it was. He just wanted to hear it from Merle. He waited expectantly.

Merle finally sighed. "Meth, okay. Ya happy?"

Daryl frowned. "You're selling for him? Man, I didn't know you'd be on the street with that shit. I don't know about this. . ." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"What'd you think I'd be doing? Paintin' his nails?" he asked with a laugh. "Don't look so glum baby brother, it'll all be alright."

He made a face. "If you got caught it'd be serious time is all. I don' want your stupid ass getting sent to jail."

He didn't want his brother in jail. It'd been just them for the greater part of his life. He wasn't sure if he could make it without him.

Merle smiled crookedly. "Calm down. Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm invincible, remember?" He said it all with a laugh, but Daryl could tell he was being partly serious. He really did think he was invincible.

"Yeah, I remember," Daryl mumbled. But he didn't believe it.

**AN: This one is a Daryl and Merle heavy, and Beth light, but necessary nonetheless. Don't worry they'll be back together, and moving forward in their relationship in the next chapter! I received a question on the last update regarding whether or not I will be changing the rating from T to M. I figured I might as well answer it here for all of you. The answer is yes I will be increasing the rating in the near future, however I also want to just let you all know that I am not really a smut writer. I won't know how it goes until I get up to that chapter, but I hope i'll be able to live up to all of your expectations. Anyway, thank you all again, I really appreciate every single review. I love reading what you all have to say about the chapters. Until next time!**


	16. Chapter 16

A few days later, Beth was crossing campus in a rush, heading to her car. She was cranky and exhausted. She'd had to wake up early and help her father at the clinic since Maggie had gotten sick the night before with a stomach bug. After dealing with unruly animals and rude owners for a few hours, she'd had to head to school. To make matters worse, today was her long day and she had three back to back classes. By the time her last class had ended, she was fried. She couldn't wait to get out of there, but on her way to the door her professor stopped her. Then he proceeded to keep her an extra twenty minutes after to talk about her last assignment. He'd been commending her work, but Beth wanted to just tell him to shut the hell up so she could leave. Finally he had released her and she was now speed walking down the sidewalk to the parking lot, dogging other students who didn't know how to watch where they were going. She was agitated, and late to pick up Daryl. All she wanted to do at this point was go and pick him up, and go home and relax for a few hours and unwind.

She was just getting to the end of the sidewalk when a car pulled up directly in front of her and beeped their horn. She almost walked directly into it. She was about to give the driver a dirty look, and maybe chastise them a bit, when she looked up and found that it was Daryl behind the wheel of the blue pickup he'd been working on. She hadn't even noticed right away in her haste.

The window was rolled down, and he had one arm resting out of it. "You goin' my way darlin'?" he joked, exaggerating his accent playfully.

She grinned broadly, her agitation evaporating immediately like it hadn't been there in the first place. She skipped up to his window happily.

"You finished fixing it!" she cried, and leaned in to kiss him. He placed a hand to the back of her neck, holding her there for a moment, before releasing her and pulling back. He was smiling too. "I was just coming to pick you up. Sorry I was late, one of my professors kept me after," she said, and made a face.

He waved her off. "Don' worry about it. I finally had time to finish her today, so I figured I'd swing by and see what the holdup was." He patted the car appreciatively. It had been busy at Dale's shop for the past couple of days, so Daryl hadn't had any time to work on the truck. Not that Beth minded though. This way she still had an excuse to see him every day when she picked him up and dropped him off. They'd both been busy the last few days, and she hadn't been able to see him besides that. "You need to get home, or would you be interested in goin' for a ride? Test her out."

The desire she had to go home and relax was gone. Now that Daryl was here in front of her, she decided that she would much rather spend time with him.

"Hell yeah!" she said.

He grinned and shook his head. "Cursin'? I think you might be spendin' too much time with me. My bad influence is startin' to rub off on you. Alright, hop in."

She laughed, and headed around to the passenger side door. He leaned over the seats and swung it open for her. She smiled at him appreciatively.

"You're chariot," he said in his best attempt of a British accent. It didn't quite work. The southern twang of his voice was too strong.

She laughed loudly. "Why thank you, sir."

He was smiling too, but it had an embarrassed twist to it. Like he couldn't quite believe he'd just done that. Beth thought it was adorable.

Daryl started driving, heading away from town. Beth wasn't sure where they were headed, but she couldn't care less. She was here with him and nothing else mattered. They were both quiet for a long moment. Beth had her arm stretched across the seat, and her hand resting on his knee. She ran her thumb lightly over the denim of his jeans. Every few moments Daryl would look down at her and smile softly, like he was making sure she was still there. She was looking at him too. Watching his face as he drove. He looked at ease behind the wheel. He still had one hand out the window. She watched as the light from the setting sun danced across his face every time it broke through the trees. There was no place that she would rather be right now.

Finally he pulled off the road and stopped in front of the lake at the edge of town. The lake was large and surrounded by trees, secluded. A lot of people from town came here to be alone. She wondered how Daryl had found out about it, but didn't ask. The sun was still setting and glinting off the water as it rocked in the breeze. The sight was breathtaking.

He opened his door and hopped out, and then made his way around the front of the car to her door. He pulled it open for her, and offered his hand to help her out. She gave him a look and grinned, but took it all the same. He led her over to a bench by the water's edge, and they sat down together. He draped an arm across her shoulders, and she snuggled in close to his side. They didn't speak. They didn't have to. It was enough to just be there, together, watching the sunset. Then it occurred to her, this was what she was looking for. When she had watched Glenn and Maggie on the couch watching that nature documentary, this is what they had looked like. Comfortable. Relaxed. _Happy._ She realized that this is what she had been searching for, what she hadn't had with Zach. What she had right here with Daryl. It was all still new and strange, but it was good. She vowed then to herself that she would hold onto this, whatever it was, and she wouldn't let it go. Not without a fight.

After the sun had finally gone down, Beth spoke.

"I'm kinda sad that you finished fixing the car," she confessed.

Daryl looked down at her quizzically. "And why's that?" he asked.

She looked up at him. "I won't get to drive you around anymore. Now I don't have an excuse to see you every day."

He smiled at her softly. "You don' need an excuse," he said, and then leaned down to kiss her.

XXX

So that's how it went. From there they fell into an easy routine. Daryl began picking Beth up a few days a week to say thank you for driving him around for all that time. He would do the same as she had done; bring her to school before going to work himself, and then picking her up when he was done. On the days she drove herself, they would both do what they had to do, and they would see each other in between. They started spending a lot of time going on drives. They'd go to random places. They went to the park a few times, wandered aimlessly around the big convenience store in town, but most of the time they ended up at the lake. Unofficially that had become their spot. A lot of the time one of them would just end up driving there, a discussion wasn't even necessary.

She was just getting back to the apartment after Daryl had dropped her off. They'd spent at least ten minutes in the car making out, it was late and there wasn't anyone around. She felt like she was back in high school experiencing love for the first time. And technically, she guessed she was. She already knew that she hadn't been in love with Zach, and she didn't think she was in love with Daryl either. Not yet at least. It was too early for that. But she was _in-something_ with him. What that something was, she wasn't sure.

Maggie and Glenn were sitting at the table talking when she came in, a box of pizza sat open on the table in front of them. They were laughing and smiling together. Beth greeted them both. Her and her sister had been on much better terms lately. She'd finally accepted Daryl as a part of Beth's life, and was no longer giving her crap about him. Although, she still was persistent in wanting to meet him. Beth kept pushing it back, knowing Daryl probably wouldn't be too eager for that just yet. She knew he would meet her family if she asked, but she didn't. She didn't want to rush things. Maggie had threatened a few times just to wait for him to drop her off and ambush them, but Beth knew she would never actually do that. Maggie may have been a lot of things, but she would never disregard Beth's wishes like that.

"Hey," Maggie said with a smile. "How was school?"

Beth sighed. "School's school," she said with a shrug. "If I have this much work in undergrad, I don't even want to think about what graduate school's gonna be like next year."

Maggie snorted. "Why do you think I didn't go to college?" she said. "I was never one for school work." Maggie had pulled decent grades in high school, but it took a lot of work. Once she had graduated she vowed that she was never going back. She would be just fine without it, she'd said. So far she hadn't been wrong.

"Same here," Glenn said raising a hand. "Thank the lord for Rhee's Pizza."

"Amen," Maggie said. They high-fived.

Rhee's Pizza was the shop that Glenn's family owned. His parents had started it when he was young, and now he was co-owner with his father. They sold the best pizza in town, so they did well. Coincidentally, it was the pizza that sat on the table now. Glenn got it free, so it was what they had to eat for dinner on most lazy nights when no one wanted to cook or go out. Beth grabbed a piece from the box. It was kind of cold, but she didn't really care. It tasted delicious either way.

"How's Daryl?" Glenn asked her.

He meant it honestly. He'd taken interest in Beth's love life recently, and had been supportive. Especially after he heard what had happened with Zach at the bar. He hadn't met Daryl, but he'd already said he liked him. If he was looking out for Beth's safety, then he was okay in Glenn's book. Beth had a feeling that Glenn was partly responsible for Maggie's acceptance of Daryl, and she was grateful.

"He's good," Beth told them. "He's really liking working at Dale's. I think it's a good fit for him."

Glenn nodded. "That's good. Any chance we'll be meeting him soon?" he asked innocently. Maggie looked over at him with a triumphant smile. Had she been working on him?

Beth gave them both a suspicious look. "Soon," was all she said in response. This is become somewhat of a normal conversation around the apartment. Although, it was usually between her and Maggie.

Maggie furrowed her brow. "Please Beth we're dying. You've been spending all your time with this guy. Glenn and I need to meet him. We've been together for three years. We're running out of things to talk about!" she said dramatically, and Glenn sat next to her nodding vigorously.

Beth just shook her head at them. She knew they were just kidding around. For the entire time they'd been together, they'd never run out of things to talk about. They were always finding new things to discuss, it was one of the reasons they worked so well together. She'd once caught them having a very heated discussion about where socks actually went when they didn't come back from the dryer. Maggie claimed that the dryer was an entrance to a parallel sock-eating universe, whereas Glenn seemed to believe that there was a sock thief that broke into the apartment at night and took only one from sock from each pair. They never got bored of each other.

She knew now they were just being nosy bastards. However, she couldn't really blame them. If the situation was reversed Beth knew she would be dying to meet Maggie's new boyfriend too.

She stumbled over the word in her mind. _Boyfriend._ Was that was Daryl was to her? They'd never actually discussed it. They were surely more than friends that much she knew, but their label? Beth wasn't sure. She knew she shouldn't care, and she didn't most of the time, but there were some instances where it kept her up at night wondering.

"Oh stop," she said, turning her attention back to the pair. "I don't need your crap. You'll meet him eventually."

Glenn looked at Maggie and shrugged, as if to say 'I tried'. Maggie frowned, and Beth just shook her head.

"Fine," Maggie said with a dramatic sigh, "but when we break up it's on you!"

"Shut up. You guys are getting married," she joked. However, she saw Glenn's eyes widen nervously for a split second, but the look was gone as quick as it came. She wondered if she had just imagined it.

XXX

A few nights later Beth and Daryl lay in the bed of the pickup. This time they weren't here to watch the sunset, but instead the stars. It was hard to find places to be alone. Daryl didn't want to bring Beth back to the cabin in case Merle and his new friends showed up. They'd gotten lucky one time with Martinez, but he wasn't going to put them in that position again. He didn't want to risk her safety. Beth didn't want to bring him to the apartment either. That was where Maggie was. She kept saying that it was Daryl that wasn't ready to meet her family, and she knew that was true. But she didn't think she was ready either. She wanted to keep him to herself for a little while longer. Right now, their relationship was just theirs. Once they started bringing other people into it, it wouldn't be anymore.

Therefore, she'd improvised. They wanted to be alone, so she'd brought blankets and pillows and set them up in the bed of the truck. Currently, she was lying with her head on his chest, and he had an arm wound around her back.

It was nice, and she was trying to enjoy it, but her question from the other day kept floating up to the surface of her mind. _What were they?_ No matter how many times she pushed it down, it resurfaced. Finally, she gave in. She knew she wouldn't be able to fully enjoy the night until she had her answer.

"Daryl?" she said quietly.

"Hm?" he answered. He wasn't looking at her, but instead at the sky. It was better that way. If his eyes were on her she didn't know if she'd be able to get the words out.

"What is this?" she asked him.

He didn't quite understand the question at first, but he played along anyway. "This is the sky, and those are stars," he said gesturing up at the night sky. She could hear the smile in his voice.

"No, us," she said. Then she elaborated. "What is this? What are _we_?"

He was quiet for a long moment, contemplating. Beth suddenly found herself afraid of his answer. She sat in a nervous anticipation, wishing she hadn't said anything at all, while at the same time dying to hear what he would say. Finally he spoke. His answer was everything she wanted and more.

"Something special," he told her.

Truer words had never been spoken.

**AN: I have to say, this was my favorite chapter yet. I hope you all agree. Thank you all again for your reviews, comments, etc. Until next time!**


	17. Chapter 17

It was three weeks later that Beth brought up meeting her family for the first time. They were at Dale's shop. Daryl was on his lunch break, and Beth's class had been canceled so she had the afternoon off. They we're set up in the back of the pickup. She was working on an assignment, and he was eating his lunch, a sandwich that she had picked up for him on her way over. She had her legs stretched out, and resting in his lap. Dale, Tyreese, and T-Dog were scattered around the garage, each working on their own project. Every so often one of them, Tyreese or T-Dog, would yell something at him and Beth, telling them to get a room or something else along those lines. Playful teasing. Dale would just shake his head at their banter, but he'd also smile softly to himself. For whatever reason, he couldn't be happier that Daryl and Beth were together. The first time that he'd saw them kiss when she dropped him off one day a few weeks ago, he'd wandered over to Daryl afterward with a big smile on his face. Daryl knew that he was about to give him a big 'I told you so' so he waved the old man off, and told him to keep his trap shut. He'd laughed heartily and shuffled back to his desk and his crosswords.

Daryl hadn't been mad though, he was glad that Dale was so happy. For some reason his approval of their relationship gave Daryl solace. In truth, he'd come to view Dale as somewhat of a father figure. His own father hadn't been anything to look up to, and it was something that he hadn't realized that he'd needed in his life until now. He'd been at the garage for nearly a month now, and had become friends with them. He enjoyed his time there much more than he ever thought possible, and working with those guys was one of his favorite parts.

He didn't expect to like them as much as he did, but that was probably because for most of his life the only people he'd associated with were Merle's friends. They were all trash. Dealers, addicts, ex-convicts. Not people that Daryl really wanted to spend any sort of extended time with. So mostly, he'd spent his time alone. Hunting, camping, all solitary activities. He had thought that that was the kind of life he wanted for himself, and he really did love those things, but now he'd gotten the chance to forge relationships with actual good people, and he realized that he was wrong. This was the kind of life he wanted. He still had his brother, but he had other people too. Most importantly, he had Beth.

After their conversation in the back of his truck when he told her that they were something special, they had grown even closer. They'd spent nearly all their free time together from then on, especially since Merle had been spending less and less time at the cabin. When he was there he usually had company, friends from work, which meant that Daryl usually didn't stick around. That left him with a whole lot of free time to spend with Beth. Even when they weren't together they'd text and talk on the phone on and off. He was almost shocked with himself. Before Beth, he'd been a man of few words, he still was with other people usually, but with her he could talk for hours. About nothing, about everything, it didn't matter. He definitely wasn't the type to text either. Short and to the point phone calls were his specialty, and usually only to Merle. Now he'd find himself just calling to hear her voice, or texting just to see what she was up to. If he were to see himself from an outsider's point of view, he didn't know if he would be able to recognize himself at all. He was different, and he liked it. It was like now he felt like he had purpose. He had a steady job, a home, and he also had someone to answer to.

He had been taking a bite of his sandwich when she asked.

"What would you say to meeting my family?"

He nearly choked on said sandwich. He forced himself to keep a neutral expression as he struggled to swallow. She was looking at him expectantly with those big blue eyes. The same eyes he had a very hard time saying no to.

"I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to," she continued. "It's just that Maggie's been pestering me since she found out about you, and now even my daddy has started asking about you. Not outright saying that he wants to meet you, but hints." Her forehead creased. "I think him and Maggie talk about it when I'm not around."

"Uh. . ." he trailed off, and shifted uncomfortably.

Beth tilted her head, and did her best to suppress a smile. "Are you scared?"

"No," he said roughly.

"You're afraid!" she accused, delighted.

"I ain't afraid of nothin'," he insisted gruffly.

"Then why do you look like a deer caught in headlights?" she asked. She grinned broadly, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to wipe that look off her face, or kiss her. Maybe both.

"I just ain't great at first impressions is all. . ." he said awkwardly.

"What do you mean? Ours was so good," she teased. He looked up at her, and her eyes were bright.

He frowned at her. "Hey, besides the whole car thing I don' think ours was that bad," he said. But he was kidding too. He suppressed a smile, and so did she. He was glad that they were able to joke so freely about him trying to steal her car now. Other people definitely would not have been so forgiving. Other people weren't Beth though.

She laughed. "If I remember correctly the first word you said to me was a swear word."

"Well you scared the shit out of me!"

"And you screamed 'fuck' loud enough to wake the dead!"

He reached over and held her hand. He stroked his thumb across her palm. "Such an ugly word sounds so wrong coming out of such a pretty mouth."

She looked up at him, and smiled deviously. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"I take it back. You're turning me on now." He leaned toward her, and she pushed him away playfully.

"Down boy," she said with a laugh.

It was all in fun, he wasn't being serious, at least not completely. They hadn't reached that stage in their relationship yet. They were taking things slowly, which was fine with him. It wasn't like he didn't want to, of course he did. Sometimes he thought that he might explode if they didn't. That was the effect that she had on him. He would be an idiot not to want it. But it was more complicated than that. When things did reach that level, he would have a lot more than just first-time-with-someone jitters to deal with. Not only would it be his first time sleeping with someone he actually cared about, but it would also be the first time showing someone else besides Merle his scars. Every other time he had kept his shirt on, not caring enough about the other women to fully undress. Sometimes he wouldn't even take his pants off, just pull them down. With Beth it was going to be different. It would be a lot more than just sex. He would be going all in with her, complete exposure. And it scared the shit out of him.

Beth abandoned her schoolwork, and moved to sit next to him. He had finished his sandwich, and was absentmindedly moving the wad of tinfoil it had come in back and forth between his hands. Lost in thought.

"You don't have to meet them if you don't want to," she said, calling him back to reality.

"Do you want me to meet them?" he asked, shifting so he could look at her head-on.

"Not if you aren't ready," she said with a shrug.

He paused. "Well you met Merle, it's only fair," he said.

It was kind of hard for him to get the words out. It was different that she had met Merle. Next to the people he usually associated with, Beth looked like an angel, perfect. Daryl could only imagine what her family would think when they saw him, an older, scruffy, mean-looking bastard. He wanted them to like him, needed them to.

"I know, but still. Just think about it. You don't have to tell me now," she said. He was grateful that she had given him an out. He knew that he would have to meet her family eventually but. . . He was glad for the extra time. "How is our friend Merle by the way?" she asked.

Daryl sighed deeply. "He's still alive, so that's somethin'." He made a face. "He's having people over tonight. Not sure if that's a party I want to attend."

Daryl wasn't interested in drinking with Merle's friends, or watching them get high. He'd already decided that he was going to make himself scare that night. He just hadn't decided what he was going to do.

"Well, Maggie's not gonna be home tonight. She's sleeping at Glenn's. Why don't you sleep over?"

He arched an eyebrow. A sleepover? They spent the night together before, but those times were different. One time was when they were drunk and not even together, and the other was right after their encounter with Martinez where they were both too overwhelmed to even think about anything else physical besides their first kiss. He wasn't quite sure what she had in mind for this one.

She deciphered his hesitation quickly. "It's doesn't have to be like that. We can watch a movie, build a blanket fort, I don't know kids' stuff. C'mon, It'll be fun!" she urged.

"Do you want it to be like that?" he asked seriously.

She hesitated a moment before speaking. "I'm happy with how things are now," she said honestly.

He smiled, and relief flooded through him. "Me too," he said. And he was, for now.

"Good. It's not like we have a timeline to work with. We can just take everything as it comes, right?"

"Right," he agreed.

She moved toward him, her face now hovering just a few inches from his. "So it's all settled then? You'll spend the night?" He could feel her breath against his skin.

"Yeah, okay," he said.

She grinned broadly, and kissed him. Some hoots came from the garage as the pair broke apart. He saw Tyreese and T-Dog grinning at them. Daryl just shook his head at them and smiled a little.

"You two make me sick!" Tyreese called to them.

"You better watch it, Ty!" Beth called back. "I'll tell Sasha that you're harassing me!"

He held up his hands in mock surrender, and went back to what he was doing.

"Daryl, why don't you get back to work?" he heard Dale call. "Your break technically ended forty-five minutes ago!"

Daryl checked his watch, and found that Dale was right.

"Why didn't you say anythin'?" he called back.

Dale merely shrugged and smiled. Daryl turned back to Beth.

"I gotta go," he told her.

She pouted. "Okay, fiiiine."

They climbed out of the pickup, and he walked her over to her truck. He opened the door for her, and then kissed her goodbye through the open window.

"See you later," he said.

She smiled. "See you later."

He watched her drive off, and then headed back into the garage. The three men were staring at him and grinning.

"Shuddup," Daryl muttered. He was smiling too.

"You two are adorable together," T-Dog said.

Daryl chucked his rag at T-Dog's head, and they all laughed.

XXX

Beth was just finishing straightening up the apartment when there was a knock on the door. She hefted the bundle of laundry she had gathered up in her arms, and tossed it into her waiting hamper. The pile was growing increasingly each day, and now it was nearly up to her waist. She really had to do laundry one of these days.

"Come in!" she called.

She heard the door open and close, and a moment later Daryl was standing in the doorway of her bedroom, watching her as she adjusted the blankets on her bed so they lay somewhat even. He was frowning.

"You really need to start lockin' that door," he said.

She skipped over, and wrapped her arms around him. "So protective," she said in a sing-song voice.

"I just want you to be safe."

She pulled back, and looked up at him. "How nice of you." She began heading toward the kitchen. "You want popcorn?" she called over her shoulder.

"Sure," he called back.

"Make yourself comfortable."

She headed into the kitchen and starting making their snacks. She poured drinks as the popcorn popped. She managed to carry it all back to the room by herself by balancing the bowl between her arms, and walking very slowly. When she got there, she saw that Daryl had taken off his shoes, and was wandering around her room. She watched him lift a picture of her, Maggie, and her father up off her dresser and study it for a moment. He placed it back down, and then looked up at her, noticing that she had entered the room. He immediately moved to take the popcorn bowl from her. She smiled at him appreciatively and placed the drinks down on her desk.

"That your family?" he asked, gesturing to the photograph.

She smiled. "Yep. That's Maggie and my daddy. I think I have another one of all of us around her somewhere," she said. "One with my mama and Shawn too." She rummaged around on her cluttered dresser for a moment before extracting a framed picture from underneath a pile of papers. "Here we go." She held it out for him. He took it, and examined it.

It was a picture of all of them from the summer before Shawn had died. They were all sitting huddled together on the beach on one of their annual vacations. They had gotten a passing couple to snap the picture. Beth was sandwiched between Maggie and Shawn, and Hershel and Annette stood on each end. It was her favorite photo of all of them. They all just looked so happy and carefree. That was how she liked to remember her family.

"Your mama was pretty," he said, and then handed the picture back gingerly, like it was a precious artifact.

She smiled. "Thank you. Yes she was."

"You look like her," he said.

She scrunched up her nose. "You think?"

He looked her over and nodded. "Beautiful," he said.

She blushed, and ducked her head. "Did you bring it?" she asked, changing the subject.

He moved over to the bag that he brought, and began rummaging around in it. A moment later he extracted a DVD. Cast Away. "Sure did," he said holding it out to her.

Beth grabbed it from his outstretched hand, and walked over to the DVD player above her TV. She had figured since they'd been interrupted the last time they had tried to watch it, they would finish it now. She'd texted him earlier in the day, and told him to grab it when he went home to get clothes. She popped the disc into the player, and grabbed the remote before hopping onto the bed. She snuggled up by the pillows, and patted the empty space next to her so Daryl would join her. He did after a moment's hesitation. They got comfortable, with Beth leaning against his chest and his arm around her, as they waited for the start menu to come up.

"I hope we can finish it this time," he said with a chuckle.

"Have faith," she chided lightly, as she pressed play.

They were almost to the same part of the movie where they were interrupted the first time, when they had to put it on pause. They had finished their drinks, and Beth really needed to pee. She took the empty glasses and deposited them in the kitchen, before running to the bathroom. She was refilling the glasses when the apartment door swung open. She whipped around to find Maggie and Glenn strolling into the kitchen. _Shit._

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked warily. Her eyes shifted to her open bedroom door.

"Oh, we couldn't decide on what movie to watch at Glenn's. We managed to choose one, but it was here. So were picking it up," Maggie said lightly. "What are you doing tonight? Nothing?" she asked. As she did though, her eyes slid to the two glasses in Beth hands. She watched the gears turn in her sister's mind, before understanding finally spread across her face. She looked up at Beth, and smiled knowingly. "Oh my god. He's here isn't he?"

"Who's here?" Glenn piped in. Maggie gave him a look, and then realization dawned on him too. "Oh_, him_." The pair looked at each other, and exchanged excited glances.

"I knew that was his car outside!" she cried. "Well, bring him out here!"

Beth sighed. "I don't. . ." she trailed off. She and Daryl had just talked about how he wasn't ready to meet Maggie _that _morning. She couldn't do that to him. But she didn't have to make the decision, because all of a sudden Daryl was sliding up behind her, and placing a hand on her shoulder. She hadn't even seen him leave her room.

"Hey," he said to Glenn and Maggie, who were staring at him eagerly. "Nice to meet you. I'm Daryl."

Glenn stepped forward and held out his hand, which Daryl shook. "Glenn, Maggie's boyfriend," he told him. Daryl nodded, and then shifted his eyes to Maggie.

Maggie gave him a once over. "So you're the car thief. Nice to finally meet you," she said. She didn't say it meanly, but rather nonchalantly.

Beth glared daggers at her sister, giving her a look that clearly said 'are you fucking kidding me?' Maggie responded with her own look that said 'can you really blame me?' Yes, yes she could. What the hell was wrong with her? Beth's mind flashed to when she herself had asked Daryl if he was a criminal. She recalled his reaction, how he had been so angry. She was the one who angry now though. She didn't even look up to gage Daryl's reaction. Her focus was zeroed in on Maggie. She'd insisted to meet him for so long, and _that_ was her opening line? That was the first thing Maggie says to him? Un-fucking-believable. She was about to chastised her sister, but Daryl spoke first.

"Yep," he said. "Damn happy I did it too, otherwise I wouldn't have met Beth. As messed up as that is."

Maggie looked at him almost in awe for a moment, before nodding. Beth figured she must have looked the same. She stared up at him, and he just smiled down at her softly. His eyes said it all, he meant every word. She felt the a blush begin creeping its way up her neck.

"Alright," Maggie said, pulling Beth's attention back to her. "I heard what you did for Beth at the bar with Zach. Thanks for that."

Daryl grimaced like he always did when Zach was mentioned. "That punk ass kid had it coming. He better hope I don' see him again."

Maggie gave him a look of appreciation, and Beth knew right then that she had accepted him into the fold. "You bet your ass he did," she agreed. "Okay, we'll just grab that movie and get out of your hair then."

Glenn headed into the living room and grabbed it off the shelf, as Maggie pulled Beth into a tight hug.

"I like him," she whispered into her ear.

Beth pulled back and smiled at her sister. She was still slightly annoyed at her, but if she hadn't of made a comment like that then she wouldn't have been Maggie. Either way, their first meeting was over, and Beth couldn't have been more relieved. "Me too," she told her.

They all said goodnight, and Maggie and Glenn exited the apartment. That left Beth and Daryl standing alone in the kitchen. There was a moment of silence, before they both started laughing uncontrollably.

"So you've met my sister," she said, after she finally caught her breath.

Daryl nodded. "She really is . . . something," he managed.

"You can say that again."

"You ready to finish that movie?" he asked.

"You bet your ass I am," she agreed.

Daryl made sure the door was locked, as well as all the windows. Then, they grabbed the drinks, and headed back to Beth's room.

XXX

They managed to finish the movie, which Beth was quite pleased about. It meant something more to her then merely just finishing a movie. They'd been interrupted the first time, but they finished. It might have been stupid, but it symbolized something to her. Like maybe they'd had an obstacle in their relationship, but they had overcome it and now they were _here._ Here was where her and Daryl were now, lying together in the dark, limbs tangled. She'd flipped off the TV long ago, now it was just them and the quiet.

Her mind drifted back to Daryl's reaction to Maggie's greeting. He hadn't been mad at all, not even a little annoyed. Anyone else would have been annoyed, should have been. Why wasn't he? Her statement was true, but it was also ridiculously rude when it was literally the first thing you said to something. He seemed different than the man that she had met a little over a month ago. Like he was growing maybe. She wondered if she had anything to do with it.

"Are you even real?" she asked him suddenly, her voice cutting into the silence.

"I could ask you the same thing," he replied.

"Maybe neither of us is real, and this is all just a dream."

"If it is, I hope I never wake up," he told her.

**AN: Boy do I love it when I get inspired to write. I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter! I loved reading your comments. Thank you again! Until next time!**


	18. Chapter 18

Daryl had to leave early the next morning. As he kissed her goodbye, she'd wrapped her arms around his neck trying to entice him to stay. He laughed and untangled himself from her grip, promising that he'd see her later. As he left the room, Beth stared after him.

"I hate to see you leave, but I love to watch you go," she hummed, her eyes trained on his ass.

He blushed scarlet, and told her to shut it, before retreating from the room. She was still laughing when the apartment door shut behind him.

Beth didn't have to leave to help her father at the clinic for another two hours, so she stayed in bed and tried to absorb the remaining body heat that Daryl had left behind. She rolled over and pressed her face into the pillow he'd been using, breathing in his scent. He'd been gone only a few minutes and she already missed him.

Shortly after, she heard Maggie enter the apartment. She listened as she shuffled around in the kitchen, banging cabinets. Then the noise stopped, and she appeared in Beth's doorway holding a glass of orange juice. She took a long sip, and studied her closely.

"Morning," she greeted her.

"Morning," Beth croaked in response.

"Daryl go home?" she inquired, an eyebrow raised.

Beth shook her head, struggling to sit up. "Work."

Maggie nodded, and took another sip of her juice. Beth watched her in suspicion. She was being too quiet, and it was making her nervous.

"What?" she asked warily.

"Nothing," she said. "He's just not what I expected is all." She shrugged.

"What do you mean? You spied on us through the window like every day," Beth reminded her tersely.

Maggie waved her off, and moved to take a seat on the bed next to Beth.

"Watching someone out a window and actually interacting with them are two completely different things," she pointed out. Then she paused for a moment. "He seemed so gentle . . . tender. The way he looked at you, it surprised me is all."

Beth looked down at her hands, and smiled. She knew that at first glance that wasn't something you'd expect coming from Daryl, but he was so much more than what met the eye. She was glad that Maggie had noticed.

"And you, you just seem so happy lately. I think he might be good for you," she continued. "I'm kind of sorry I gave you such a hard time about him."

"I am happy," Beth told her. "It's like you are with Glenn."

Now Maggie smiled softly. "He's the best thing that ever happened to me."

Beth clasped her sister hand. "I know." She smiled broadly. "Look at us, we're a pair of romantic saps," she said with a laugh.

"I know, isn't it great?" she replied with a grin. She was quiet for a moment, lost in thought. "You know, now that Glenn and I met him, I think it's time you introduced him to daddy."

Beth made a face. She knew it had to happen, but she was content to try and ignore it for a few hours. Now Maggie had said it out loud and she couldn't.

"I know. I'm gonna talk to Daryl about it today. Maybe make a plan with daddy to go over there for dinner."

Maggie nodded. "Good, good."

Daryl hadn't had much choice in meeting Maggie. She wondered how he would react to a planned meeting with her father.

XXX

Daryl had gone into work early that morning. T-Dog had asked him to help him finish up a project. They'd had the car in the shop for almost a week, and the owner was getting antsy; calling a few times a day to check the status, and popping by to check if they were working on it. It was driving them all up a wall. She'd fried the cars computer system, so they'd had to order the parts and wait for them to come in before they could even touch the stupid thing. No matter home many times Dale had tried to explain it to the lady, she refused to listen, spouting off about how if she'd gone to the _other_ auto repair shop in town the car would have been done already. Daryl didn't know how Dale kept him cool, because if it had been him she was yelling at he wouldn't have been able to refrain himself from yelling right back. Whenever he saw her name come up on the caller ID, or spotted her heading towards the garage, he found himself immensely glad that customer service was not part of his job description.

He was busy holding the flashlight for T-Dog so he could see into the space behind the disassembled dashboard, when the sheriff's car pulled into the parking lot. Daryl's entire body tensed. Even though he knew that he hadn't done anything, and they couldn't possibly be there for him, whenever he saw any sort of law enforcement he was on edge. Growing up with Merle and his father would do that to a person.

Dale saw them pull in at the same time Daryl did, but instead of turning cagey, he headed over to greet them jovially. Daryl watched as two men got out of the car and moved to toward Dale. He recognized them as the two officers he'd met with Beth. Grimes and Walsh, he remembered their names being. Grimes seemed like an alright guy to him. He seemed like the noble sort, someone who really loved what he did. Walsh on the other hand left Daryl with a bad feeling. He reminded Daryl of some of the rougher cops he'd encountered in his life, a bastard on a power trip because he wore a badge. After pleasantries were exchanged he saw Grimes turn serious, his face grim. Walsh's face was always grim; his angry expression seemed to be set in stone. He wondered what they wanted.

They talked for a moment, and Dale shook his head. He also wore a somber expression. Grimes gestured toward the garage, and Dale gave him a nod. Then the three began heading toward them. T-Dog had moved away from Daryl, rummaging through a tool box by Tyreese. The men split off, Walsh headed towards T-Dog and Tyreese, Rick made a beeline for Daryl, and Dale shuffled back to his desk.

Daryl's heart began pounding against his ribcage. Every instinct he had told him to run, but that was just his flawed upbringing talking. He'd always been told that the law was not to be trusted, evil. But he knew if he ran, he would look like he was guilty of something. So he stayed put, sweating. Grimes strode over to him, his hands resting on his belt.

"Morning," he drawled. "How are you today?"

"I'm alright," Daryl answered stiffly. Daryl recalled then that his name was Rick. Sheriff Rick Grimes.

Rick cocked his head. "Hey, don't I know you? You're Beth's friend, right? Daryl was it?" He began nodding his head. "Yeah, I saw you two down at the diner."

Daryl nodded. "Yeah, I remember."

Rick studied him for a moment with interest. "Are you two together? Like dating?"

"I guess you could call it that," he said. He was generally a private person, and the idea of discussing his relationship with Beth with this guy wasn't really something he wanted to do.

A lazy smile spread across Rick's face. In that moment he didn't really look like a cop anymore. "Well that's real nice. I love that girl like a daughter. I'm real good friends with her daddy. I assume I don't have to warn you to treat her right?" He chuckled good naturedly.

Daryl shook his head carefully. "No sir, you don'."

Rick waved a hand at him. "Please, call me Rick. Any friend of Beth's is a friend of mine."

"Alright, Rick," he said slowly, testing it out. This guy may have been being friendly, but Daryl's wariness remained. He couldn't just undo years and years of being told something because he met one cop that seemed like he was okay.

He smiled at Daryl, but then it was gone quickly. "Listen Daryl, I wanted to ask you a few questions," he said, getting right down to business. "My deputy and I came over to talk to Dale about some occurrences around town. He's got ears and eyes everywhere being the nosy, friendly man he is, so we figured if anyone knew anything it'd be him. Unfortunately, he had no information to share with us."

"What'd you wanna know about?" Daryl asked.

"There's been a spike in drug related crimes recently, possession, overdoses. Methamphetamine mostly, and that's not something we see a lot of in this town. Of course, the people we've arrested aren't talking. We've been asking around to see if anyone has any information about it. So, do you have any information for us?"

Daryl's heart was hammering against his chest. He felt sweat began to drip down the back of his neck. He's mind flashed to Merle's duffle bag full of drugs. Fear for his brother shot through him. He kept his best poker face though. He'd learned long ago how to keep his emotions from surfacing on in face or in his body language. Another thing necessary during his childhood. At least he'd been able to put that skill to good use.

He shrugged. "Sorry, I don' know nothin'. I ain't been in town that long."

Rick nodded, seeming to have believed him. "Alright, thanks anyway." His eyes drifted over to Walsh, who was finishing up his interviews as well. As per usual, he didn't look happy. Rick turned back to look at Daryl. "You have a nice day. Tell Beth I said hello."

Daryl promised he would, and Rick headed out of the garage, waving at Dale as he went. He met Walsh at the car, and the pair got in and drove away. Once the car was out of sight, Daryl let out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding in. T-Dog wandered back over to him, holding the tool he'd been looking for before.

"So, meth here, crazy right?" he said to Daryl.

Daryl shrugged. "Ain't that crazy, shit's everywhere."

T-Dog shook his head. "Nah man, not here. This towns so small everyone and their mother would know if someone was dealing. Must be someone new, or someone from a different town."

Daryl stiffened slightly at his comment, but T-Dog wasn't looking at him. He'd turned back to the car. He obviously wasn't trying to imply anything about Daryl with what he had said.

"Mind holding that flashlight again?" he asked, head buried under the dash.

Daryl nodded even though T-Dog couldn't see him, and went back to his job.

XXX

Daryl took his lunch break around noon. They'd managed to finish that horrible woman's car about an hour before, and he'd been ecstatic to see her come and take it away. He grabbed his lunch off of his workbench, and then threw himself down in one of the random chairs by Dale's desk. He ripped open the bag, and torn into his sandwich. Once his nervous energy after dealing with Rick had burned off, it had been replaced by an intense hunger. He couldn't be happier that it was time for lunch. That was however, until he checked his phone.

He pulled it out of his pocket, and unlocked it, finding that he had a new text from Beth. He opened the message, and his half chewed bite of food nearly fell out of his agape mouth when he read it. He finished chewing, and swallowed slowly. Dale noticed his troubled expression, and asked what the problem was. Daryl passed him the phone wordlessly. He slipped the glasses that he had hanging from a chain around his neck onto his nose, and proceeded to read the message aloud.

"My dad wants to have dinner tonight and meet you. Are you up for that, or should I tell him another time?" he read. A grin spread across his face, and he handed the phone back to Daryl.

Tyreese and T-Dog had been eavesdropping, and suddenly erupted into laughter. Tyreese ambled over rubbing his hands together. T-Dog was close behind.

"Oh boy, meeting the girlfriend's father!" he exclaimed. "How fun!"

"Hope you won't mind getting shot at," T-Dog snorted.

Daryl glared at them, clutching the phone in his hand tightly. He'd met Maggie and her boyfriend. That wasn't that bad. He didn't even mind when Maggie referred to him as the car thief, it's not like it wasn't true. That was just her sister though. The idea of meeting her father, that was daunting.

"Now, now boys," Dale broke in. "Don't scare him." He turned to Daryl. "Hershel is one of my best friends. He's a good man, very kind. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Daryl frowned. Dale didn't know about how he'd met Beth, but Hershel did. Therefore, any reassurances of how kind he was meant nothing to Daryl.

The Dale continued. "However, try not to piss him off. The man's got a mighty fine firearm collection." He broke off into a fit of laughter, and the other two men joined in.

Daryl groaned, reading the message over again. He couldn't say no, it wouldn't be fair of him. She'd done so much for him. The least he could do would be to do this for her. He took a deep breath, and typed out his reply. Then he hit send. There was no going back now.

He was meeting her father.

**AN: So I've finally broken 200 pages for this story! (206 to be exact). That is just so surreal to think I already have that much, and we're not even close to the ending. I'd have to say that I think we're about halfway through. Jeez, that's like novel length, and also the longest thing I've ever written. Anyway, thankyouthankyouthankyou for all the reviews! I love 'em! You guys are great. I think this is like three chapters in three days or something? I'm on a roll. Okay, done rambling. See ya'll later.**


	19. Chapter 19

Needless to say, Daryl was practically useless for the rest of his shift. A great amount of time was spent staring off into space thinking about everything that could possibly go wrong at the dinner with Hershel. First and foremost, Hershel could have the cops waiting upon his arrival to take him away for trying to steal his daughter's car. He kept being reminded of how Beth's father was good friends with the sheriff, so it wouldn't be inconceivable that he's just been biding his time waiting for the right moment to corner Daryl and get him sent away for grand theft auto. That was the worst case scenario. Even if that didn't come to pass, he could spend the entire night drilling Daryl, trying to get Beth to realize what a waste of space he actually was. Then she'd wake up and realize that she was wasting her time with him, and it would be over. On second thought, that may have been the worst case scenario.

He concocted horror story after horror story, until finally Dale got so fed up with Daryl staring blankly at the ground that he sent him home early. He couldn't say that he wasn't relieved. He needed time to unwind before dinner that night.

_That night._ He couldn't believe that he'd agreed to it. He hadn't expected it'd be so soon, but shortly after agreeing to it, Beth texted him with the details. They would be eating dinner at the Greene's farm that night at seven o' clock. It was decided that Maggie and Glenn would come for moral support, and also to hopefully help deflect some of Hershel's attention off of Daryl.

He had been hoping that going home would help him relax, but as he pulled up in front of the cabin he was even more wound up then he'd been at the garage. There were no distractions here.

He studied the cabin for a moment when he pulled up, and felt a small surge of pride shoot through him. It was almost a completely different aesthetic then when he and Merle had first arrived. Once he'd fixed the truck, he borrowed a lawn mower from Dale. He mowed down the surrounding grass, and now they had a pretty decent lawn. He'd also started fixing things on the actual structure of the building. He rehung the shutters so they sat evenly, fixed the railing on the small porch, and even replaced a broken window that had previously just been covered with a plastic garbage bag. Looking out at his handy work made him feel accomplished. It wasn't much, but it was his. No one could take that from him.

He headed into the cabin, thinking that maybe he'd take a nap before he had to get up and get ready, but once he stepped through the door he realized that wasn't an option anymore. Merle was actually home for once, and Daryl could tell right away that he was on edge. He was sitting on the couch rubbing his hands over his head furiously. An empty bottle of booze lay abandoned at his feet. He looked up when Daryl walked in. His eyes were bright, probably from the booze and whatever else he was on.

"What?" Daryl asked cautiously.

"I think you're supposed to say 'hello' when you great someone!" he said, his voice a few octaves too high.

"Hello," he tried again. "What happened?"

"Nothing! Why would you think something happened? I should be asking you that seeing as you look like someone has a grip on your family jewels!" he laughed humorlessly. The sound came out harshly. "Is it Blondie? She finally steal your manhood?"

Daryl frowned, but was too tired to retaliate. "I'm meetin' her dad tonight, but that ain't what we're talkin' about. What's goin' on with you? Does it have to do with the cops?"

"What do you know about the cops?" Merle exclaimed, jumping up off the couch. "Huh?"

"The sheriff came by the garage today askin' questions 'bout the meth. I just figured-."

"What did you tell him?" Merle cut him off.

Daryl shook his head. "Nothin'. It's not like I know anythin' anyway."

Merle nodded, and kept nodding. Then he started to pace. "It's getting too hot baby brother. I'm gonna have to make my leave soon. Martinez is on edge, hell everybody's on edge!"

"Merle, what's going on?" Daryl asked, getting in front of him so that his brother had to look him in the eye.

Merle just stared at him for a long moment, and then shook his head. He shoved past him, muttering something about needing fresh air, and then he was out the door. Daryl headed after him, and watched from the doorway as he took off down the street. He thought about going after him and making him tell him what the hell was going on, but he didn't. He had enough to worry about right now, and Merle getting himself into trouble was not on his list. He heaved a deep sigh, and went back into the cabin, slamming the door behind him. He was too tired for this shit.

The hours leading up to when he had to leave to pick up Beth ticked by painfully slowly. He tried to take a nap, but sleep wouldn't come. He tried to read, but couldn't concentrate on the words. He got about thirty pages into a beat-up novel that he had sitting around, before he realized that he had no idea what the book was even about. He kept reaching for the cigarettes in his pocket that were no longer there. It'd been about a week since he last had one, and he knew Beth was proud that he was trying to kick the habit. He wasn't going to ruin that now. He finally settled on just staring at the wall, and trying to think about everything but the dinner or Merle. No luck though.

At five thirty he got up and started to get ready. He showered, making sure to scrub every inch of his body. Then, he cleaned up his facial hair, giving it a much needed trim. After that, he moved into his bedroom and started sifting through his meager pile of clothing. He didn't really have anything _nice_, but he finally managed to settle on a long sleeved plaid shirt, and his only pair of jeans that didn't have any holes. He examined himself in the tiny bathroom mirror. It wasn't ideal, but it would have to do. He checked the time, and found that it was time for him to leave and pick up Beth if they didn't want to be late. He took a deep breath and headed out the door toward his truck.

When he pulled up in front of Beth's apartment building, he was still on edge. He was about to get out, and go to her door to get her, but before he could even make a move for the handle she was already sliding into the cab beside him.

"I was gonna," he gestured toward the building.

She waved him off. "No need, I was waiting at the door." She looked nervous too.

However, once he saw her, his nerves began to melt away. Yeah of course he was still nervous, but now it was a more manageable amount. Seeing her, reminded him what he was doing all of this for. It was just her father, he was just a man. Who gave a shit if he didn't like him, Beth liked him, and that was all that mattered. She reached over and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. He wasn't sure if it was more for him or for herself.

"You good?" she asked.

He nodded, and leaned over to kiss her lightly.

She leaned into him, returning the kiss, and then pulled back and patted his knee. "Let's do this then."

XXX

Glenn and Maggie were meeting them there, and Maggie's car was already parked in front of the house when they arrived. Daryl stared up at the large farm house looming over them. It was lit up, and was a bright contrast against the dark night sky. He sat staring out at it for a moment, before Beth took his hand and guided him out of the car. She led him up to the front door. She placed her hand on the doorknob, and turned to him.

"It's gonna be great," she said reassuringly.

He chewed on his lip, and nodded at her stiffly. Then she was swinging the door open, leading him into the house. Daryl could hear voices drifting from the kitchen at the end of the front hallway. Beth began heading toward the noise. He followed closely behind her, studying the walls as he went. They were covered with family photos. There were some of Maggie, Shawn, and even an adorable picture of a small Beth grinning up at the camera with her two front teeth missing. He smiled. It was obvious that she came from a loving family. It was apparent all over the home. He'd never had anything like this. He had no pictures of himself when he was a child, or his family for that matter. His father hadn't been interested in keepsakes.

They entered the kitchen and found Maggie, Glenn, and Beth's father standing around the island. They appeared to be getting the meal ready to be brought to the dining room. They looked up when Beth and Daryl entered.

"Hey!" Beth greeted them warmly.

Hershel moved across the kitchen, and wrapped his youngest daughter in a tight hug. He hadn't acknowledged Daryl yet, and he was holding his breath in anticipation. Maggie smiled at him, and Glenn moved to shake his hand.

Beth broke apart from her father, and turned to gesture to Daryl. "Maggie and Glenn already met him, so daddy, this is Daryl."

Daryl was standing beside Beth rigidly, and Hershel's eyes shifted to him. He stared at him intensely for a moment, before breaking out into a broad grin.

"Nice to meet you, son," he said, holding a hand out. "I've heard a lot about you."

Daryl was nearly stunned into silence. Neither his eyes nor voice held any malice. He quickly got his wits back, and swallowed the lump that had been forming in his throat.

"You too, Mr. Greene," he said, gripping his hand firmly and shaking.

He let out a light chuckle. "Hershel will be just fine, thank you. Mr. Greene makes me feel old."

Daryl nodded, and glanced at Beth. She was beaming up at him, clearly pleased. _So far so good_, he thought.

"Now," Hershel said placing his hands together, "who's ready for dinner?"

Daryl and Glenn helped Hershel carry the food to the table, while Beth and Maggie got the plates and utensils. They were having spaghetti and meatballs, something that comforted Daryl as it was not too fancy. They all took their seats around the table. Daryl held out Beth's chair for her as she sat, which earned him another beaming smile. Then they said grace, which was something that Daryl was virtually unfamiliar with. Therefore, he just followed Beth's lead and clasped his hands together and bowed his head while Hershel said a prayer.

However, after grace came something that Daryl hadn't prepared for. Small talk. He'd spent so much time stressing about his initial meeting with Hershel, that he hadn't given anything thought to what came after. If there was anything he was truly, truly awful at it was small talk. _Crap_. Beth sensed his uneasiness, and squeezed his hand under the table. Her touch had a calming effect on him, and he was able to take a deep breath and try to relax.

Beth's family fell into an easy discussion. Hershel talked about how things were running on the farm, mentioning people named Patricia and Otis. It didn't take long for Daryl to piece together that they lived on the grounds and helped out. Hershel asked how Glenn's pizza business that he owned with his father was going, to which he replied that things were going great. Daryl listened, and nodded, speaking only when he had something to add or comment on. Hershel asked him how he liked working with Dale, and told him that Dale had spoken very highly of him. Daryl tried to pretend that that didn't please him as much as it did. Overall, dinner was going great. Much better than he could have anticipated.

After they were finished eating, Daryl helped clear off the table. Beth headed to the sink to start washing the dishes, and Daryl was about to move to help her, when Hershel called him aside.

"Daryl, would you mind joining me in the living room for a chat?" he asked.

Daryl stiffened. This was what he'd been waiting for. Hershel was waiting to get him alone, and now he was gonna chew him out. He shot Beth a look, and she gave him a wide-eyed look and shrugged helplessly. Maggie and Glenn were looking on in interest, and anticipation. Daryl nodded, and followed along after Hershel.

"No eavesdropping girls," Hershel called over his shoulder. "You too, Glenn."

Some annoyed grumbling came in response.

Hershel settled himself into an armchair, and motioned for Daryl to take a seat in the one beside it. He did, and then braced himself.

Nothing happened.

Hershel was quiet for a long moment before speaking, and when he did what he said surprised Daryl.

"I'd offer you a drink, but I don't keep alcohol in the house," Hershel squinted at him. "I'm assuming Beth told you that I am a recovering alcoholic?"

Daryl nodded. "She did. I don't really drink anymore either, so that's alright."

Hershel nodded knowingly; like he was well aware that Beth was the reason he was trying to stop drinking.

"Been sober nearly twenty years," he said. His head was tilted back, and he had a faraway look in his eyes. "That was a dark time in my life. I wasn't such a good man then, not the man my family deserved. After one particularly bad night, I looked in the mirror and finally woke up. I realized that I was failing; as a husband, as a father, I wasn't living up to my responsibilities. I put the bottle down that day, and never looked back." He paused. "I like to think that I've redeemed myself since then."

Daryl nodded, not knowing what to say in response. He found himself wishing briefly that his father had had the same epiphany as Hershel, but pushed the memories away quickly. No need to dwell on the past.

"What I'm trying to say," he continued, "is that as men it is our duty to try and be the best we can be for the people we love. Are you understanding what I'm getting at, Daryl?" He focused his stare on him.

"I think so," he replied. And he did. He could see where Hershel was going with his speech.

Hershel nodded. "I'm well aware that you and my daughter met under . . . undesirable circumstances. I trust her judgment, and I understand that thus far you have treated her with nothing but respect, but as a father of course I worry. Therefore, I need to hear for myself that you are in fact the man she thinks you are."

Daryl thought about what to say for a moment. Finally he came up with an acceptable answer.

"I'm trying to be," he told him truthfully.

Hershel smiled softly, and nodded. "So you aren't involved in anything illegal then? I'm sorry, I just need to ask."

Daryl paused, and thought. He didn't want to lie to the man when he'd been nothing but kind and understanding so far. He decided to tell him the truth.

"Not directly," he said, "but my brother. . ." he trailed off.

Hershel pursed his lips. "I understand that you live with him."

"I do."

"You can see where my concern would be then."

Daryl nodded gravely. "I won't let anything happen to her, not ever," he said with conviction.

Hershel sat in thought for a long moment. Finally he spoke. "I won't forbid her to see you, even if I could. She's a grown woman, and she can make her own decisions, and I like you Daryl, I do. You have to understand though, I'm trusting you with my little girl."

"I'll take good care of her, but she's pretty tough. She can take care of herself too," he said, and then grinned crookedly.

Hershel grinned too. "Don't I know it," he said with a laugh. Then he leaned over and patted Daryl's knee. "And you better, because I have a firearm permit, and I'm not afraid to use it."

**AN: Four chapters in four days!? No one can put out this fire! Actually, yes they can. Sorry to say, but I have a thing tomorrow and will most likely not have any time to write, I apologize. I just have to say that whenever I write Hershel I just miss him so much. He was literally my favorite character next to Daryl. Okay, anyway thank you all! Your lovely comments give me the inspiration I need to get these chapters out. Knowing that I have an audience who actually gives a shit about this story gives me the motivation I need to write. So I am really grateful for all of you. Thanks again, and see you next time!**


	20. Chapter 20

Beth was immensely satisfied with how the night had turned out. She had now introduced Daryl to every important person in her life, and it had gone well to boot. In truth, she'd been nervous at the start of the night. She knew that her father wouldn't be _unkind _to Daryl, but he was still her father and he would still try and protect his baby girl if he saw fit. Fortunately, once they'd arrived all of her reservations had melted away. Her family loved her, and they would love Daryl too. Much to her relief, it had gone better then she could have anticipated. She felt good, hell she felt great. There was only one more thing that had to be resolved though. She had to find out what her father and Daryl had talked about.

When they'd returned to the kitchen, Beth had stared Daryl down expectantly, waiting for him to give her some indication of what their talk was about, but he'd merely fixed her with a reassuring smile, and then struck up a conversation with Glenn. She'd shot him dirty looks for the remainder of the night, and he'd respond by grinning at her. It was adorable and infuriating all at the same time.

Now they were in the car headed back to Beth's apartment, and he still wouldn't spill. But she wasn't going to give up that easily.

"C'mon," she probed. "I'm dying over here! I need to know what you talked about!"

"It's none of your business!" he said with an amused expression on his face, clearly enjoying this.

"My father, my boyfriend, my business," she countered. They normally didn't use the terms _boyfriend_ and _girlfriend _to describe each other. They felt they didn't quite encompass what their relationship meant to each of them, but she was trying to make a point, and it worked well enough in this instance.

"You know," he insisted, not taking his eyes off the road.

"No, I don't know!"

He rolled his eyes, finally giving in. "You, obviously."

"Yeah, but what about me," she prompted.

"You just wanna hear me say it," he accused with a laugh.

She batted her eyelashes at him. "Maybe."

He shook his head. "You're lucky you're cute. You know, all that regular 'if you hurt her I'll shoot you' crap. I promised I wouldn't 'cause I could never hurt you, alright. Ya happy?"

She shrugged, and sighed dramatically. "I guess so."

"You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" he chuckled, as he pulled the car up in front of her apartment building.

She unbuckled her seatbelt, and scooted towards him. She hovered a few inches from his face. "You like it," she purred.

He responded by crushing his lips to hers. She reacted enthusiastically, kissing him back with equal force. She moved her hands to run her fingers through his hair. His hand moved to the back of her neck, holding her to him. She pulled back a moment later, breathless.

"How about you sleep over again," she whispered against his cheek.

"Isn't Maggie gonna be home?" he asked warily.

"Yeah, so what? You've met her, it doesn't matter anymore."

He was silent for a moment, pondering, before he began nodding. "Yeah, okay. I don't have work tomorrow, so it's not like I need to run home and grab clothes."

"Yay!" Beth cried victoriously. "C'mon let's go."

She hopped out of the car, pulling him after her. He barely had time to lock the doors before she was running up the steps, towing him along behind her. They jogged up the four flights of steps, having to pause briefly outside of her apartment door as it was actually locked for once. He gave her an approving look as she extracted the key from her purse, and slid it into the look.

"What?" She smirked. "You're rubbing off on me."

She swung the door open, and led him into the main room. They both kicked off theirs shoes, and then she was tugging him by the arm into her bedroom, and closing the door behind them. Before the door even clicked shut, they were on each other.

Daryl grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her against him. She wound her arms around his neck, and then crushed their lips together. His mouth opened against hers, and she worked her tongue in, exploring. After a few moments, he pulled away and began navigating his mouth down from her lips to her neck. Her breath hitched in her throat. They moved backwards together, and came crashing down onto the bed, with Beth pinned underneath him.

While his mouth worked her neck, she slid her hands down his body, doing her own exploration. She ran her hands over his arms, tracing the muscles of his forearms beneath his shirt. He moved down to her collarbone, and she moved her hands to the hem on his shirt and begin inching her hands up underneath so she could touch his bare skin. As she began moving her hands up his back, she felt him tense on top of her. But he didn't tell her to stop. She was about to ask him what the problem was, when she felt it. Her fingers passed over puffed up skin. She thought that she heard him breathe in sharply as she made contact with it. She knit her eyebrows together, and moved her hand slightly, and felt another bump. She pulled back so she could see his face, and then realization hit her like a truck.

His eyes were downcast, and he refused to meet her gaze.

"Daryl," she said softly.

His face contorted violently, like he was recalling a bad memory. But he didn't shy away from her. She still had her hands under his shirt, touching his scarred skin. She extracted them slowly, and then moved them to touch his face gently.

"Daryl," she said again. He moved his eyes up to meet hers slowly. They looked pained.

She knew now. Everything that hadn't quite made sense before, about his childhood, his family, suddenly clicked into place. Click. Click. Click. She was heartbroken for him. Then, the pained expression was gone. He was staring at her, trying to gauge her reaction. He'd wiped all trace of emotion from his face. His expression was cool and closed off, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

"You're father?" she asked quietly.

He gave a curt nod, and she thought she could see his eyes beginning to well up.

"Can I . . . Can I see?" she asked hesitantly.

He paused briefly, before beginning to nod slowly. He climbed off of her, and moved to sit beside her. He moved his hands to the collar of his shirt, and began tugging it up over his head. The world seemed to be moving in slow motion. He removed the shirt fully, and laid it in his lap gingerly. Like a safety blanket.

She examined his chest first. A few light scars ran across his pectoral muscles that she hadn't noticed before. She felt a swirl of conflicting emotions rise up inside of her. She was bombarded with one after another, and didn't quite know what to feel. She moved her gaze up to his. He was watching her intently. They stared into each other's eyes for a long moment, having a silent conversation, before he finally toke a deep breath and nodded, realizing what she wanted from him. Then he turned his body so he was facing away from her, and she got her first glimpse of his back. She heard herself let out a small gasp.

His back was far worse than his front. There were two jagged scars running across his left shoulder. He had two tattoos on his right side, on and under his right shoulder blade, and underneath them there were two more scars. The worst ran diagonally down his back, stretching all the way from his left side to his right. A lump began forming in her throat, and she was having a hard time breathing properly. She knew that she was about to start crying at any moment.

She didn't understand how anyone could do this to another person, especially a parent to their child. She was angry and disgusted at his father, and she also felt a deep sadness for Daryl for having to go through that. She reached a tentative hand out, and began lightly tracing his scars. Silent tears began falling down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly, not wanting him to know that she was crying. He was still under her touch, his muscles rigid with discomfort. She wasn't sure if he was even breathing. She moved and placed a soft kiss to each scar. Then, she shifted her position on the bed so she was now in front of him. She placed both hands on his face. His eyes were stony, faraway.

"I am so sorry that this happened to you. You didn't deserve it," she whispered.

"I don't think my pa woulda agreed with you." He meant it to sound like a joke, but it came out stiff. His stony exterior was beginning to crack.

"No," she stated forcefully. "No one deserves this."

He pressed his lips into a thin line. "I don't need your pity," he spat. She knew him well enough now to know that his anger was only a defense mechanism. She didn't back down.

"Good," she said evenly, "because then you'd be in the wrong place." He looked up at her, clearly confused by her reaction. She went on. "I don't pity you, Daryl. I hate that this happened to you. It makes me sick thinking about someone hurting you this way. But it happened. You were able to overcome it, and it made you the man you are today." She stared into his eyes as she spoke, making sure he knew that she meant every single word.

He scoffed at her. "Yeah, some man."

She ran her thumb lightly over his cheek. "Yeah," she said softly. "The man that I love."

There she said it. She loved him. She'd known it for a few days now. He'd been driving her home from school when she'd realized. The radio had been turned low, tuned to a classic rock station. Daryl had been humming along, tapping his hands on the steering wheel along to the music. Completely lost in his own world. It came out of nowhere. The thought merely passed through her head like it was nothing._ I love him. _She had to reach out and snatch it back; otherwise she might not have even noticed that she thought it at all_._ Like it was something mundane. But it was far from mundane. It was extraordinary. Love. Real love for the first time. It was important, life altering even.

So she'd kept it to herself for a few days. She'd been weighing it over in her mind, basking in it, wondering when she should tell him. How she should tell him. Should she wait for him to say it first? No. She'd be waiting for the rest of her life then. It wasn't that he didn't care about her; she knew that he did. It was just Daryl though, how he was. The concept of love would scare the shit out of him. She doubted that he would ever say it at all. And she was okay with that. She didn't need him to say the words for her to know that he was feeling it.

So it had turned into a quest of her finding the right moment to tell him.

Once she'd seen his scars, she knew that she had to. It was time. She couldn't keep it to herself anymore. It was vitally important to her that Daryl Dixon know that someone loved him.

He stared at her in shock. In all honesty, he looked like he had just swallowed a bug. A tiny laugh bubbled up and escaped from her throat.

"Don't look so scared." She grinned crookedly. "I didn't tell you so you would say it back. I told you because you needed to hear it."

He looked pained. She could see the gears shifting in his head, an internal battle he was waging against himself. She leaned over and kissed him.

"It's okay," she said softly. "I know. It's okay."

He was sat motionless for a moment, still thinking, before he nodded slowly. His eyes were wet. He kissed her again.

"Thank you," he whispered against her lips.

An hour later they lay side by side. Beth lightly stroked Daryl's back as he recounted some of the horrors he'd endured as a child. They'd heard Maggie come in and go to bed some time ago. Thankfully, she didn't come to say goodnight.

Beth couldn't hold back her tears now, and neither could he. He told her that his father was a drunk, turned violent after his mother had passed away. She'd died when their family home caught fire when Daryl was still young. She had been smoking in bed, and fell asleep, most likely passed out drunk. Daryl had been out playing a few blocks over with the neighborhood kids when it happened. Merle had been locked away in juvie. Their father blamed Daryl for his mother's death. He was an angry man, and he took that anger out on Daryl. Physically and emotionally. Beth couldn't even imagine all the pain and the guilt that he must have felt from such an early age. She just wanted to take it all away, absorb some of it into herself so she could share his burden.

"It wasn't your fault," she kept assuring him quietly.

He'd merely shake his head at her weakly.

"You were only a child. It wasn't your fault."

It took countless reassurances before he finally nodded his head in resignation. Although, she wasn't convinced that he believed her. In fact, she was sure that he didn't. It killed her, but she knew that she couldn't undo years and years of damage in one night. Or maybe even at all. Maybe this was just pain and guilt you had to live with. She didn't know. She'd never experienced anything remotely like it; therefore she could never really know how he felt.

They were both quiet for a long time. So long that she thought he had fallen asleep. She continued stroking his back. Finally he did speak again.

"No one ever told me that it wasn't my fault." His voice was almost inaudible.

"You weren't talking to the right people then."

"How do you always manage to make me feel better?" he murmured.

She smiled softly. "It's a gift," she told him, and then placed a kiss to his neck.

**AN: I bet I totally had you guys going there. You all thought they were gonna sleep together, didn't you? Nope! Instead I decided to open up horrible childhood memories for Daryl, and make them both cry! (I am so sorry.) But now all the groundwork is there for a physical relationship (with Beth having seen his scars, and having a better understanding of his past and who he is as a person), so we'll see where that leads . . . ! BTW, I've worked it all out and there should be between 32 and 35 chapters, plus an epilogue. It's weird for me to think that this will be done in like 16 updates. . . Anyway, thank you all! You guys are great! See you next time!**


	21. Chapter 21

Beth was taking the day off. It was supposed to be her day to help out at the clinic, but she had a mountain of school work waiting for her with deadlines that were quickly approaching. After a lot of begging, she'd managed to get Maggie to cover for her. She was now spending the day buried in homework. Finals were right around the corner, and now it was time to play catch-up for all the work she'd been procrastinating on all semester. She'd been at it for about six hours now, and she was exhausted.

She climbed out from underneath her pile of work, and stretched out the stiffness in her muscles that came from sitting in one place for too long. She made a bathroom run, before heading into the kitchen to brew her second pot of coffee for the day. She stared at the coffee maker, her eyelids drooping, and watched as the beautiful brown liquid dripped into the pot. God she really hated the end of the semester. She couldn't wait to have a month off for winter break. If she wasn't so tired she could have jumped for joy. When the coffee was done brewing, she poured herself a large mug, and shuffled back to her bedroom.

She clambered back onto her bed, and began sorting through the mountain of papers that had formed around her. She organized them into two piles; to-do, and finished. Much to her horror, the to-do pile was exponentially larger than the finished one. She yawned widely. It was going to be a long night. She plucked the next shortest assignment from the pile, and started in on it.

She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't notice her phone lighting up beside her. She also didn't hear the knock that came on the door a half an hour later. Or the sound of her apartment door opening and closing. Her eyes were glued to her computer screen, completely engrossed in Weber's theory of Rationalization. She did however notice when someone across the room cleared their throat. She looked up startled, and her eyes fell on Daryl, who was leaning against her doorframe with a smirk etched on his face. She placed a hand to her heart, and sighed in relief.

"Oh my god," she cried. "Daryl, you scared me!"

He chuckled. "What do I keep telling you? You shouldn't leave your door unlocked. Anyone can just wander in off the street."

She rolled her eyes at him. "What's up? You're done with work already?" She checked the time. His shift had ended a half an hour ago.

He nodded. "Yeah. I hadn't heard from you today, so I figured I'd stop by."

"Were you worried about me?"

He titled his head. "Maybe."

She grinned. "Sorry, I put my phone on silent for optimal working conditions." She dug around in her blankets, searching for her cell. She extracted it victoriously a moment later, and then checked her notifications. "Hmm. Look at that. Three missed calls, and a missed text from Daryl." She glanced up at him. "Clingy much?"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I think I like concerned or caring better," he offered.

She laughed. "Whatever helps you sleep at night."

He pushed himself off the wall, and walked toward her. She moved the papers off of the space next to her, and he plopped down into it. He leaned forward, and squinted at her computer screen.

"Whatcha workin' on?" he questioned.

She sighed dramatically. "Boring homework."

"Anything I can help with?"

"Not unless you know anything about the theory of Rationalization," she replied.

He furrowed his brow. "Forget I asked then."

"That's what I thought," she said with a laugh.

He leaned back into the pillows, making himself comfortable. "I'll just watch then."

She looked at him, and made a face. "I don't know about that. . ."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Why not?"

She looked him up and down, slowly. "You're kind of a distraction."

He waved her off. "Just do your homework. I'll be on my best behavior. I promise." He placed a hand to his heart.

She looked at him unconvinced, but shifted her attention back to her work nonetheless. She could feel his eyes on her, and like she had said, it was a distraction. She got about two more sentences written, before she slammed her laptop shut, and pushed it aside. Homework be dammed.

She was on him in a flash, climbing on top of him, and pressing their bodies together. He reacted immediately, pulling her to him, crushing her against himself trying to get closer. Her mouth crashed against his, tongues swirling, tasting. No matter how many times they did this, it was still as electrifying as the first. Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces, like they were meant for one another.

She pulled away from his lips, and moved her mouth down to his neck; sucking, biting, licking. His hands were on her hips, his fingers digging almost uncomfortably hard into her hipbones. She couldn't care less though, she'd never been this hot before, this turned on. Yes, she had slept with Zach when they were together, but it had never been like this. She had more electricity with Daryl then she had ever had with him, even with their clothing still on. But it wouldn't be like that for long.

She ground her hips against Daryl's, causing him to moan softly into her shoulder. Pleased by his reaction, she did it again. She could feel him beginning to respond to her. She pulled back from his neck, and stared into his eyes. They were dark, heavy with arousal. She kept their gazes locked, as she reached her hands down to the hem of her T-shirt. His eyes widened slightly as she began tugging it over her head. Then, it was off. She chucked it across the room, and dove back at his mouth. He kissed her furiously, running his hands up her bare back, feeling every inch of her exposed skin. They paused at the clasp of her bra. She could sense his hesitation, and pulled back slightly from the kiss.

"Go ahead," she breathed against his mouth. "It's okay."

She heard him breathe in, and then he moved to unclip it. He fumbled a bit, not quite sure how to do it. Beth laughed, and reached back to do it herself, causing Daryl to blush, and smile awkwardly. She did it with ease, and then slid it off her shoulders. That too was flung across the room, joining her shirt.

Daryl stared at her bare chest in amazement, looking at her as if she was made of gold. That caused her to blush. She reached down to take one of his hands, and guided it to her breast. He looked at her wide-eyed, like he was afraid to touch her. Like she was made of glass and he was scared that he would break her. She nodded at him, letting him know that it was alright. He returned her nod, and his eyes travel back to her breasts. He moved his other hand to cup her other breast, and began working them softly. Beth hummed her encouragement, closing her eyes. He rolled her over, so that he was now on top, and moved his mouth to her chest. He kissed her collarbones first, moving down almost painfully slowly to her nipples. While he sucked on one, he kneaded the other between his fingers. She moaned her approval, and arched her back.

She grabbed at his shirt, wanting it gone. She wanted to feel his bare skin against her own. He obliged immediately, pulling it over his head with lightning speed. She kissed him deeply, pressing their bare chests together. Then she moved down to her shorts, unbuttoning them, and trying to shimmy out of them all while pinned underneath Daryl, and without breaking their kiss. He helped her, pulling them down her legs. He had to break the kiss to remove his own pair of pants. Both bottoms were added to the pile of discarded clothing forming on the floor.

Now the only thing separating them was the thin fabrics of their underwear. Daryl was at full arousal now, and she could feel him pressing against her thigh. They stared at each other. Daryl's eyes asked the question that his lips couldn't form. Beth nodded, and then reached down to remove her underwear. He did the same. There was nothing between them now. They were skin to skin. It was exhilarating and terrifying all at once.

"Have you, uh, have you done this before?" Daryl stammered awkwardly.

Beth nodded, also finding it hard to speak. "Just twice," she managed.

He nodded. "Do you have, um, protection? I don't have one on me. . ."

"Yeah, yeah," she muttered.

She leaned over to dig around in her nightstand drawer. A moment later she extracted a condom. She held it out for him, and he took it slowly. He unwrapped it, and then fumbled around for a moment as he slipped it on. When he was done, he looked back up at her, a fresh blush on his cheeks. She stared at him for a moment, before breaking out into a fit of giggles. He joined in after a moment. She couldn't help it, it was funny, and if you couldn't laugh about things like this then what was the point? They felt comfortable together underneath all of the first time jitters. That was what mattered. When they had both calmed down, he gazed over at her.

"You ready?" he asked softly.

She nodded. "Yeah, are you?" He nodded back.

He climbed back on top of her, and she opened her legs for him. He positioned himself between her thighs. He stared down at her, looking at her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. And in that moment with him looking at her like that, she felt like she was.

"I love you," she told him.

He smiled softly, and moved down to kiss her.

"Beth," he breathed against her lips. He said her name like a promise.

Then, he began to inch his way inside of her; slowly, deliberately. She breathed in sharply. A moment later, he pushed the rest of the way inside her, and they were one. He began rocking himself back and forth. He kissed her again, and moved his hand between her legs to rub the center of her arousal. She moaned into his mouth. She began pumping her hips up to meet his. Their kiss deepened, and their thrusting intensified. She could feel her building orgasm, and could tell from Daryl's heavy breathing that he wasn't far behind. Then, with one final thrust, they came together. Beth let out a breathy moan, seeing fireworks behind her eyes. She could hear Daryl's shallow breathing as he collapsed on top of her.

A moment later, he rolled off of her, and moved to dispose the used condom in the waste bin next to her bed. Then he rolled back toward her, and she settled against his chest. They were both hot and sweaty, and she couldn't care less. Nothing could get rid of the euphoria she was feeling then. They laid in silence, until their breathing was normal again.

"Huh," Daryl said after a while. "I guess you're right. I was kind of a distraction."

She grinned, and whacked his arm. He chuckled, and moved down to kiss her.

XXX

A while later, Daryl still lay awake. Beth had fallen asleep against his chest some time ago, but he wasn't tired just yet. He could feel her body rising and falling with each breath she took. He gazed down at her and smiled. He was still basking in the afterglow of what they had done. He was up so high right now, that he doubted anything could bring him down. Not Merle, not Martinez, not thoughts of his past. This was the only thing that mattered to him right now, just this beautiful girl sleeping against him. He was the luckiest man alive.

As he watched her sleep, it occurred to him that he had never loved anything as much as he loved her before in his entire life. But once the thought passed through his mind, he froze. Love? Holy shit. Was he in love? He'd never thought that being in love was possible for him, a destination in life that he would never get to. He'd grown up believing that he didn't deserve love, and not even being sure that he wanted it. He'd always been happy alone. He'd never really let himself get attached to anyone besides Merle, but that was different. Merle was his blood. He'd never wanted to have anyone else as a permanent fixture in his life. That was, until he met her. Now here he was, so far away from what he had been. All it took was one glance at Beth for him to know that it was true. He loved her. She had helped put him back together, when he himself hadn't even realized that he was broken. When he hadn't even known what he was missing. He laughed out loud.

Daryl Dixon was in love. Who would have thought that it was possible?

He suddenly had the strong desire to try to words out, to say them out loud. But he couldn't say them to her yet. Not conscious at least.

"Beth," he whispered. No answer. He spoke louder. "Beth, are you awake?"

She didn't reply, and her breathing remained steady. She was asleep. He took a deep breath.

"I love you," he mumbled, inaudibly at first. Then he spoke a bit louder. "I love you. I love you. I love you." His volume increased each time that he said it.

He felt a jolt shoot through him when the words left his mouth. He felt like he was walking on air. He'd never felt more overjoyed then he did in that exact moment. But he couldn't tell her. Not yet. She had told him that she loved him, and that amazed him. How could someone as perfect as her love him? He wanted nothing more than to say it back, but he wasn't ready. This was a big deal for him, something that he wanted to savor, mull over for a while. He would tell her when the moment was right. For now though, he would keep it to himself.

Until he was ready to say it to her while she was conscious.

**AN: Annnnd twenty one chapters later. . . You're welcome. xx**


	22. Chapter 22

Daryl collapsed against the mattress, breathing heavily. Beth lay next to him, her breathing the same. Ever since they had slept together the first time, they were having a hard time keeping their hands off of one another. That had been almost a week ago, and they hadn't left Beth's bedroom much since; and usually only when they needed food, or had to attend to their real life responsibilities. Once they were done with work—or for Beth, school—they always ended up back here. Even if they tried to do something else, like watch a movie, or just talk, their clothes always ended up in a heap on the floor. He'd even spent every night that week sleeping at Beth's. Neither could bear the thought of sleeping without the other, so he hadn't been home much. He'd only stopped by to check on things, making sure Merle didn't burn the damn place down, and to pick up clean clothes. He hadn't even seen or talked to his brother in the past week. The increasing amount of take-out containers scattered around the cabin were the only evidence that Merle was still, in fact, alive. That didn't bother Daryl as much as it would have in the past.

So, he had been spending every moment of free time he had with Beth. They were in the honeymoon period of their relationship, and Daryl couldn't say that he was complaining. In all his thirty-four, almost thirty-five, years of life he had never before been so attracted to someone, or felt such a high after sex. All of the other times he'd had sex in his life, it had left him feeling empty, hollow. With Beth though, he felt amazing, complete somehow. Her presence in his life had allowed him to feel comfortable in his own skin for the first time in a very long time. He loved what she was doing to him, but mostly he just loved her.

He was still keeping that a secret though, holding it close to his chest. He'd fully embraced it now, and it made him feel good. However, he was waiting for the right moment to tell her. This was still a big deal for him, and he wanted the moment to be perfect. Something they would both remember forever, because it would be forever. Now that he had given in to his feelings, he knew there would be no going back. He didn't open himself easily, and now that he had with Beth, he would love her until the end of time. Even if at some point she decided that she was done with him, he would continue to love her. This was a once in a life time deal for him, and he knew it. That didn't scare him as much as he thought it would have.

He was changing. For the better.

Beth rolled over, and laid her head against his shoulder. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"Mmm," she hummed. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that." She pressed a kiss to his neck. "How about you?"

He scoffed at her. "If I ever do, take me out back and shoot me."

She fake-gasped. "I could never!"

"Well someone would have to, because if I ever got tired of _that _there would have to be something seriously wrong with me."

She stretched an arm across his chest, and wrapped it around his side, pulling him closer. "Such a romantic," she mused.

He curled an arm around her back. "Damn straight," he replied.

She let out an airy laugh.

His phone chimed in his pants pocket, which was all the way across the room. They lay abandoned next to Beth's bra. Apparently they had gotten thrown when he pulled them off. The rest of their clothes were strewn elsewhere around the room. Looking around now, it all seemed funny. He spied Beth's shirt in a ball on her desk, her underwear had landed in the corner and his shirt had somehow managed to get slung over her lamp. Yeah, it was definitely funny. He supposed it had gotten a bit wild.

He looked at his pants dolefully. They were just _so_ _far_ away, and the last thing he wanted was to get out of that bed. It could have been work though, or Merle; but that was less likely. He heaved a sigh, and grumbled incomprehensively as he began to untangle himself from Beth.

She put a hand on his arm to stop him, and lifted her head to look at him. "Want me to get it?"

He laid his head back against the pillow. "Would you?" he said gratefully.

She nodded, and extracted herself from his grip. She climbed out from under the blankets, and Daryl got a full view of her bare backside. He hummed appreciatively. No matter how many times he looked at her, she took his breath away. Especially when she was like this.

"Bet you just wanted to stare at my ass," she accused over her shoulder.

Daryl huffed, pretending to be offended. "I would never!"

She bent down, and picked up his discarded jeans. Then she reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone as it beeped again. She turned toward him, and Daryl drank in the view from the front. _How did I get such a beautiful girl to love me?_ he thought in bewilderment. She glanced down at the screen, and then back at him.

"Merle," she informed him, striding back across the room, and handing the phone to him. She climbed back into bed beside him, and snuggled in close. "He wants to go out."

Daryl took it, and stared down at it, reading the message. Merle had the night off, and wanted to go to the bar with Daryl. _Like old times_, the message read. Daryl was a bit surprised by that. Not only had his brother contacted him, but he also wanted to see him too. It had been a long time since they had just _hung out_ together. Not since before he'd met Beth. He glanced over at Beth, who was absentmindedly picking at her nails. She probably was trying to avoid giving away her opinion on the idea. She didn't outright dislike Merle, but she wasn't his biggest fan either. And for good reason too. She respected that he was Daryl's family, but she also didn't want Daryl involved with what Merle was wrapped up in. She worried about him, and Daryl found this endearing as hell.

He looked back at his phone. He knew Beth would never ask him not to go, even if she might not want him too. That was another reason that he loved her. She let him make decisions for himself, and generally accepted the ones he made. She trusted his judgment.

He should probably go, he decided. When would the next chance be that he got to spend time with Merle like they used to? Probably not for a long time.

"I'm gonna go, alrigh'?" he told her.

She looked up at him and nodded. "Yeah, I think you should. You haven't seen him in a while."

Daryl suppressed a smile, happy that she understood. _Of course she did_, he said to himself, _it's_ _Beth_. He typed out a reply to Merle, setting up a time. Then he put the phone on silent, and placed it face down on the bedside table. He didn't want any more disturbances, and they had a few hours before he had to leave to pick Merle up. He rolled back over, so he was propped on top of Beth. She let out a gasp of surprise, before wrapping her arms around his neck.

She smiled alluringly. "Wanna go again?"

"Hell yeah," he said enthusiastically, and crushed his lips to hers.

XXX

Later that night, Daryl perched beside Merle on a worn barstool. Big pieces of the leather were missing, exposing the dated looking foam beneath, and one of the legs was just a hair shorter than the rest, so every time he moved he rocked back and forth. He had his feet propped up on the low rungs of the stool, seeing as if he put them down his boots would probably stick to the floor. That was the same reason he had his arms crossed over his chest rather than propped on the bar, he was afraid he wouldn't be able to pry them back up. Daryl wasn't a germaphobe, but even this place was a bit too grimy for his taste. Merle was right in his element though, knocking back drink after drink, and laughing with the rest of the patrons; not caring in the slightest about the overall dirtiness that coated the place.

It hadn't taken Daryl long to realize that this was probably where Merle spent a lot of his time. He was comfortable here, a regular, and these were his _'work'_ friends. Right off the bat, that annoyed Daryl. Of course his brother would bring him out under the guise of having a night for just them, and then take him where Daryl knew no one, and then ditch him. It wouldn't be the first time. He didn't know anyone, wasn't looking to pick up a girl, and had pretty much put a stop to his excessive drinking habit. He'd been nursing the same beer since they'd gotten here a little over an hour ago. (Also, it helped that he was the designated driver for the night. It gave him a definite reason to not get blackout drunk with his brother like he used to. He had to say, he was kind of proud of himself.)

But none of that was the case though surprisingly. Yeah, Merle did know these guys, but the majority of his attention seemed to be focused on Daryl. He even seemed to be genuinely interested in Daryl's life at the moment. If it wasn't like that, he probably would have already left. Merle had just finished probing him about his job at the shop, and was moving on to _other_ aspects of his life.

"Alright, so you like your fancy shcmancy job fixing cars. What I'm really interested in though is Blondie. How are you _liking_ her?" He waggled his eyebrows at him suggestively.

Daryl frowned at him. And to think, they were doing so good. "C'mon Merle, don't be like that," he plead gruffly.

Merle waved him off. "You know I gotta ask. Seriously though, you must really like this chick. Been spending all your time with her. I ain't barely seen you these past couple months." He winked suggestively, trying to imply something that Daryl would never discuss with his brother in a million years.

"Well it ain't like you been around much neither," Daryl pointed out, changing the subject.

He thought he saw a flicker of something, uneasiness maybe, pass over his brother's face, but it was gone in an instant. A wide grin took its place.

"We ain't talking about me, we're talking about your girle," Merle insisted, preventing him from moving the conversation elsewhere.

Merle lifted his beer bottle to his mouth and downed the rest of the liquid inside. Then he signaled to the bartender to get him another, and Daryl sighed. That was already his fifth beer, and they hadn't even been there that long. His brother was going to clean him out of his entire weeks' paycheck in just one night. He reached for his wallet, but Merle held out a hand to stop him.

"I got this one baby brother," he said resolutely. Then he gestured to Daryl's half-finished beer. "If you ever finish yours, I'd be more than happy to buy you another too." He grinned broadly while he fished his wallet out of his pocket. He pulled out a large wad of bills —and not just low bills either, we're talking hundred dollar bills—as the bartended strolled over with his new beer, and Merle slapped the money down on the counter; effectively paying his tab for the rest of the night, if not the rest of the _month_.

Daryl gaped at his brother. Where the hell did he get all that money? It's not like he'd been saving it. Whenever Merle got his hands on money, he'd blow it all right away on drugs, booze, or hookers. It was ridiculously unlike him to have _any_ money on him at any given time, let alone that much. Daryl obviously hadn't had time to count it, but if he had to guess he would guess it was around a thousand dollars. So it begged the question, where had he gotten the money, and what was he doing walking around with that much in his pocket. It's like he was just asking to get mugged.

Merle glanced up at him, and caught Daryl's expression as he pushed the bills back into his worn black leather wallet.

He shifted uncomfortably. "What? The money?" he asked far too innocently. "Martinez pays well, what can I say?"

Daryl searched his face warily, but found nothing incriminating in his brother's features. He decided to let it go. There would always be secrets between them concerning the nitty-gritty aspects of Merle's job. That was just something he had to accept.

"So, I believe we were about to talk about Blondie," Merle said, steering the conversation back to somewhat safer ground. Well, safer for Merle at least.

"What about her?" Daryl grunted.

Merle gave him a knowing look, and a shit eating grin spread across his face. Daryl had to restrain himself from slapping it off.

"You love her!" Merle accused comically.

Daryl shot him a look. "Do not," he grumbled. He regretted it once the words were out of his mouth. Not only was he lying, but he was sounding like a grade-schooler while he did it, and a not very convincing grade-schooler to boot. He braced himself for the inevitable shit-storm that it was about to stir up. If his brother really did think that he was in love—which he was, but that wasn't the point—he had to deny it. He couldn't give his brother that sort of fuel though. He would literally never hear the end of it. Merle was relentless.

He of course wasn't having it. He saw right through Daryl's lie. "Holy shit! My baby brother's in love!" He half stood up in his chair. "My baby brother's in love!" he announced to the bar. He wobbled a bit, his numerous beers starting to take effect. A few people looked over. Some let out cheers, and raised their glasses. Daryl wanted to evaporate.

He yanked his brother back into his seat violently. "Shut the hell up, I am not!" he spat, more convincingly this time. Then he paused for a moment in consideration, his guilt weighing on him. Even if Beth technically didn't know he was in love with her, it seemed unfair to her for him to lie about it. "And even if I was, it wouldn't be any of _your_ business."

Merle clasped him on the shoulder, and laughed. "Whatever baby brother, just make sure you invite me to the wedding. I call being best man."

Daryl felt a blush stretching up his cheeks, and he hoped to god Merle wouldn't be able to tell in the dim light. Surprising, he dropped the topic after that, and Daryl's love life wasn't brought up again. He could hardly believe it. All of this new material and Merle wasn't going to take the bait? He even seemed happy for Daryl . . . He nearly asked him who the hell he was, and where his real brother was; but whatever had gotten into Merle, Daryl wasn't going to push it and risk the teasing he'd expected to get. Maybe he was finally growing up.

Instead, they talked about their past—but only the happy memories obviously, so there wasn't much to bring up—they talked about sports, and even a little about current events. Nothing too in depth though, as neither was much up to date of the happenings in the world. Overall, Daryl had to admit that he was having a good time. Certainly a much better time than he'd expected to have. Sitting with his brother like this made him realize what he missed nights like these; nights where it was just the two of them, no trashy chicks, no extra people, just them. He'd really just missed his brother. It was all going really well.

Until it wasn't.

Suddenly, it got very quiet. People stopped moving, and everyone's eyes shifted to the door, or more accurately, the person who had just walked through the door. The hairs on the back of Daryl's neck stood up at the sudden shift in atmosphere, his hunter instincts kicking in. He swiveled around on his tilty stool to see what the big deal was, and he felt his heart start to beat a little faster.

Martinez had entered the building, and was scanning the crowd. He didn't look happy. He had two of his goons behind him, and his hand resting on his belt. Daryl couldn't be sure, but he had to assume that he had a gun hidden there. Daryl looked around the bar. Everyone collectively seemed to be holding their breath. For a moment, that confused him. Why was everyone on their toes all of a sudden because of this guy? Then it hit him. These people were all junkies, lowlifes. They all probably _knew_ Martinez, knew how unstable he was. The fact that everyone was nervous obviously made Daryl nervous.

He shot his brother a look, wanting an explanation, but Merle wasn't looking at him. He wasn't even looking at Martinez. He was facing away from the door, looking overly interested in a hang nail on his thumb. He was doing his best to keep a calm composure. Daryl could tell because he could hear Merle's ragged breathing beside him. That wasn't a good sign. Martinez's eyes settled on Merle beside him, and Daryl stiffened, his suspicions confirmed. He was, in fact, here for Merle. That begged the question, what the fuck did he do now?

Daryl swallowed hard as Martinez began stalking directly at them. His lackeys were right behind him, keeping close and watching the crowd.

"Dixon!" Martinez snarled once he was in hearing distance. "You're fucking dead!"

Merle glanced over his shoulder, like he was just noticing that he was there. "Martinez!" he cried with false enthusiasm. "I didn't realize you were here! What's going on?"

What the fuck was his brother doing? Daryl sat tense beside him, waiting. Waiting for what though, he wasn't sure. Martinez stalked right up, and got into Merle's face.

"Don't fucking pretend like you don't know you piece of shit!" Daryl could see spit flying out of his mouth, and landing on Merle's face. "You fucking stole from me, and your gonna fucking pay for that!"

Daryl slid his eyes over to Merle, waiting to see if it was true. And of course it was. The money in Merle's wallet suddenly made sense. As did his anxious attitude about it. He didn't even think that he could say he was surprised.

Merle scrambled, reaching for his wallet. "Hey, hey. No need to get mad. I can pay you back!" He laughed nervously as he retrieved the wallet from his pocket.

Daryl thought about intervening. He really did. But quite honestly, he was pissed. Merle gets himself into shit, has _Beth_ get him out of it, and then fucks it up again? No fucking way. He could get himself out of this one. Daryl leaned back against the bar to watch this unfold. If his brother got his ass handed to him, then so be it.

"No," Martinez growled. He straightened up a stared directly into Merle's eyes. "You stole from me, and now I'm gonna steal from you. Watch your fucking back, because I'm coming for you when, and where you least expect it." And with that he spun on his heel, and strode out of the bar.

Merle looked like he was going to reply, beg for forgiveness maybe, but the slamming of the bar door behind Martinez effectively put an end to that. Everyone else inside exhaled collectively when the door banged closed behind him. Slowly, people relaxed and conversations resumed. After a moment, Merle laughed shakily, and turned to look Daryl. He was glaring daggers at him.

"Can you believe that, baby brother?" he said as he gracelessly tried to slip his wallet back into his pocket, fumbling a few times before he got it in properly.

No, Daryl_ couldn't_ believe it. _That_ just happened, and Merle was going to try and turn it into a big joke? Nuh uh.

Daryl stood up from the bar abruptly, knocking his stupid tilty stool with him as he went. He grabbed a handful of his brother's shirt, and began dragging him towards the exit. He ignored Merle's protests, and the subtle stares they were receiving from the other people drinking around the bar who were all trying to pretend they weren't watching when they really were. He yanked open the door, and pulled Merle out into the cold night air behind him. He quickly scanned the area for Martinez, who was long gone by now, and then he threw his brother up against the brick wall of the building.

"What the fuck did you do?!" he screamed at him.

Merle didn't look shaky anymore. He looked pissed. He pushed Daryl off of him aggressively. "What the fuck is your problem?" he spat.

"What's my problem?" Daryl shook his head and laughed bitterly. He turned away, and stared up at the sky for a moment. Then he was back in Merle's face, and screaming again. "You stole from him! Why the fuck would you do that?"

"It was too easy baby brother! It was all just right there. All that cash, how could I resist?" He said it like it was a perfectly acceptable excuse. How could he resist? Daryl gaped at him, and clenched his jaw.

"Pretty fucking easily!" he countered. "Beth got you out of this fucking—"

Merle cut him off. "Beth?" he spat. "This is about Blondie? Has she got your nuts in a fucking vise? Who gives a fuck about her?"

Daryl furrowed his brow, and set his eyes into a glare. _He_ gave a fuck about her, but that wasn't what they were talking about. His brother was trying to distract him, and he wasn't having it.

"Why the hell are you getting hung up on that? We weren't even talking about her! Just how she got Martinez off your ass only for you to turn around and fuck it up again!"

Merle shook his head. "It'll all blow over. I just gotta lay low."

Daryl let out an exasperated sigh, and ran his hands through his hair roughly. "I can't fucking believe you."

"It's all gonna blow over," he said again. Did he really fucking believe that? Daryl couldn't tell.

"You're a goddamned idiot," Daryl told him matter-of-factly.

Then, much to his disbelief, Merle _smiled_ at him. "You 'bout ready to call it a night?" he asked. "I think I'm done."

_Yeah I fucking bet, _he thought venomously_. _He was a fucking idiot. How could he be so stupid? But after knowing him his entire life, Daryl knew that was a stupid question. He wanted to tell his brother to fuck off. He wanted to leave him here with his dirt bag friends. He wanted to just go back to Beth, and forget he even knew him. But he didn't do any of that. Instead he sighed.

"You got a place I can drop you off?" he asked. "Like you said, gotta lay low."

Merle grinned crookedly, thinking he'd won. But he hadn't won. Daryl was just tired. He was too tired to keep fighting with Merle. He was tired of this life. He was tired of his brother's refusal to think about the consequences of his actions. He was fucking tired, and he just wanted Merle out of his sight. For one brief moment, he found that he didn't care what Martinez did to Merle. He pushed it away quickly though. The fact that it had passed through his head at all terrified him. He couldn't think like that. Merle was still his blood. He'd just never fucking learn.

He nodded, and draped an arm around Daryl's shoulder as they headed toward his truck. "Yeah, I got a place," he said.

XXX

He ended up dropping Merle off at some nameless chick's apartment. He was gonna stay there for a while, keep his head down. Daryl really didn't give a shit. It was late, and he thought about heading back to the cabin, but the promise of Beth's soothing embrace called him back to her apartment. He checked the clock after he pulled up in front of her building. 12:23 a.m. He glanced up at her window, and her light was off. She was probably asleep. He glanced around, and found that Maggie's car wasn't parked on the street. She was probably at Glenn's. He hesitated briefly. He felt bad about waking Beth up, but he needed her right now. So he went.

He climbed out of the truck, and made the trip up the four flights of stairs. He gave the door three sharp knocks when he got there, and waited. A few moments later he heard movement inside the apartment. He heard the shuffle of Beth's feet as she moved to look through the peephole. A moment later, the door swung open. She looked sleep disheveled. Her hair was sticking up haphazardly, and her clothes were wrinkled, but she was still beautiful to Daryl.

She took one look at him, and opened her arms for him. He folded himself around her, and squeezed tightly. Almost instantly he felt some of his grief wash away. It almost scared him how much he needed this, her. But not like how it scared him when he thought about giving up on Merle. This was a whole new type of fear, and instead of weighing him down, it was almost like it was freeing him, lifting him up. For so long he only had his brother to care about, and now, well now that wasn't the case anymore. It felt amazing to have someone that loved him, and wasn't constantly disappointing him. This is how love was supposed to be. This is how _family _was supposed to be.

"Tell me everything," she said against his chest.

So he did.

**AN: Has it really already been a week since I updated? Oops. This ones a pretty decent length (fifteen pages) so I hope that makes up for it. I'll try not to take so long next time haha. See ya'll later.**


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